I am traveling to Wichita, KS for a business expo today, so this post is brought to you from guest blogger Sarah Warren, Marketing Manager for Brownbook Limited. This is the first time I’ve had a guest blogger, so leave a comment and let me know what you think.
Services marketing
Introduction
This post will focus on those marketing activities that are crucial to service based companies and points out a few key things that service businesses should do as part of their marketing strategy.
1. Make the service as tangible as possible
Service industries face the problem of intangibility. With no physical product to inspect how can a customer decide if they really want the service. We buy things based on a set of criteria depending on what the product is – these criteria could include cost, quality, reliability, enjoyment, value, prestige. When we have a physical product we can make judgments about the product but with a service it is difficult to know if our perceptions will meet our expectations.
Tangibility can be increased in a number of ways as outlined below:
a) Some service based businesses for example; a hairdresser will actually have a physical output that can be shown off. Whenever a service is being carried out on an actual person or object the output of the service can be seen by potential customers i.e. the new hairstyle. So take pictures and videos of your masterpieces so people can see your work.
b) Show examples of your work – for instance in you are a consultant you could offer a snippet of the type of work that you could produce for a potential customers or an outline of a plan. If you are a hairdresser then show off those photos of your haircut highlights.
c) Producing evidence of your success and the credibility of your business – this could be achieved by creating a company profile that perhaps; showcases the type of clients you have and the work you have done for them, how long you have been in business and biographies of the employees. Customer testimonials are also a great way to increase consumer confidence.
d) Writing a great business description and clear explanation about the service(s) you offer means potential customers will understand you and your business more clearly.
e) Added value products – offer your clients added value products that give them an indication about the type of company you are and what you are all about. Think about things like e-newsletters, e-updates or case studies. This is also a great way to both build and maintain relationships with customers.
f) Physical evidence – such as the building you are located in, your company logo, the furniture and layout of your office or premises and the demeanor of your staff will all be used in the consumer decision making process. So you must make sure that these pieces of “physical evidence” are saying what you want them to say e.g. (professional versus fun loving) (luxury versus basic).
g) People buy people – and this is especially true when it comes to services. So, the way in which your staff interact with customers is essential and often a more personal approach will be required.
2. Word of mouth
Building up a reputation and generating business by word of mouth is very important for any business. But again this can be vital when it comes to service businesses
Smart businesses are using the Internet to power-up their reputations and spread word of mouth to win new customers. Here are a few stats:
- According to a global Nielsen survey of 26,486 Internet users in 47 markets, consumer recommendations are the most credible form of advertising among 78% of the study's respondents. (Nielsen, "Word-of-Mouth the Most Powerful Selling Tool")
- 94% of UK online researchers use online customer reviews. (JupiterResearch / Bazaarvoice, January 2008)
- 71% of online shoppers read reviews, making it the most widely read consumer-generated content. (Forrester)
3. Show you exist by advertising in directories
Advertising in directories has always been a popular way for small businesses to reach potential customers. Directories give businesses the opportunity to provide contact details, a business description and categorise them into relevant areas / subjects.
Advertising is important to any business, at the end of the day if potential customers don’t know you exist then you will never get their business.
Conclusion
All of the above is achievable not by producing costly brochures and marketing material of days gone by, not by paying premiums to advertise in expensive traditional directories and not by standing in the streets telling passersby about your business but by maximizing and exploiting the online marketing opportunities that are out there.
Brownbook.net is a free online marketing tool
Brownbook.net has been developed for small businesses to assist them with the delivery of all the above mentioned marketing activities.
Brownbook.net is the free online business directory that anyone can add to and edit. Your listing is flexible which means it can be updated and edited at any time for free. By listing in Brownbook.net, potential customers will find your business and your ranking in major search engines increases due to the well optimised business pages. Businesses also have the opportunity to enhance their listing by uploading photos and videos to showcase their work or employees and give their business a personality. You can add a detailed business description, plus you may wish to include details of a current special offer, opening times, your specialties, in fact anything that's' going to help prospective customers choose you over the competition.
There is also a reviewing function which businesses can actively use as a channel to get customer reviews, and testimonials and therefore develop a word of mouth strategy. Loyal advocates and followers can be found on Brownbook. Businesses have the opportunity to engage with those customer who leave a review.
Using Brownbook to give you an online presence and to create a promotional platform should be part of every businesses marketing strategy. It’s a simple way to market your business online and attract customers.
Written by Sarah Warren, Marketing Manager for Brownbook Limited
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