Advertising is not marketing

Advertising is not marketing; and marketing is not advertising. But these days it seems as though what we have called advertising – the weekly ad in the newspaper, the annual ad in the Yellow Pages, and yes even the TV spot on the local news - has vanished into thin air.

Over the years many retailers have finally come to the conclusion that print advertising just doesn’t deliver (even when you can find a paper still in business), and that the majority of their customers just Google anything they want to find. With the advent of all the HD channels cable channels are multiplying like rabbits. While most people still watch TV, many use a Tivo, or DVR to watch their favorite shows when they want, and without commercial interruption, that is, if they don’t watch them online.

Every year you face the same challenge: how to cut through the clutter – and every year there is even more clutter. What do you do? The answer is just what your Mother always said: “Don’t talk to strangers.”

Now we all know that strangers are just friends you haven’t met yet, and the best new friends are those introduced by your old friends. Word of mouth is till the best form of advertising. In many respects that time tested concept truly taps into the whole notion of social networking. You meet friends of your friends, well… through your friends!

But wait, before you pull out your IPhone to update your Facebook page, it is important to remember that everything starts (and ends) with the relationship you have with your current customers. I can’t imagine any company these days that operates without a customer list – both mailing address and e-mail address. If you haven’t demonstrated what a great friend you are, then why should they bother to tell their friends?

The 3 building blocks of true CRM – Customer Relationship Marketing.

1. Create a customer loyalty program. It starts with as simple a question as, “Are you a current member of our Garden Rewards (or similar) program?” If not, it is going to important for you to communicate the value of signing up. If it is just to get more e-mail, then you might meet some resistance. There needs to be a good 5 – 6 reasons why, or why should they give you personal information? Need some help with those 5 or 6 reasons? How about sharing your expertise (whenever and however they need it); introducing them to new plants or gardening ideas, preferred pricing, special events, design assistance, or sale notices? One important tip – make sure it is easy for them to sign up, and encourage them to sign up online. It eliminates misspellings.

2. Follow up: These days’ people receive information in a variety of different ways, but it is important for you to concentrate on three - in person at the store, by standard mail, and by e-mail or text messaging. By using a combination of the three you can vary the look and feel of the message – visceral, visual and virtual. The important thing is to maintain a consistency of message and presentation across the different platforms.

3. Reward: Once you are able to make a successful follow up connection it will be important for you to deliver on the promise of step 1. This should be built into the structure of your follow up messages. If you are offering total access, then you should remind them with as simple message as, “got a question, just ask us”, followed of course by phone, web address and a designated e-mail address that you check regularly. Your mailer and e-mailer can be constructed to always feature tips, new plant features, coming events, and special offers.

From these three steps you will have built a strong enough relationship (over time) so that you can introduce new concepts such as a business Facebook account, company blog, or Twitter feeds that deliver good advice consistently.

The important thing is to start now. At Sunrise Marketing we can help you every step of the way. We’re you one stop solution to total integration of your marketing efforts. Of course, if you ever have a question, just call us 1-888-393-4443, or send an e-mail to info@sunrisemarketing.com.