|
|
Activity Attracts - a
proven marketing motto
By Stuart Ayling
If you want to attract more clients… get busy. Because activity attracts.
Your busy-ness should include:
 Being seen at industry or networking events.
Writing articles that get published – at least in your own newsletter.
Participating in industry meetings.
Participating in web-based discussion groups. Don’t just be a lurker on the list.
Getting out and meeting people, prospects and referral partners.
Having projects that you are working on, even if you are in-between client engagements.
Running surveys to find out more about your market space.
And more...
What I’m saying here is that you should have a planned approach for increasing your
perceived level of “activity”. Your potential clients want you to be busy, because it implies that you are good at what you do. Plus it could mean you are one of the
few hip, happening, and tuned-in professionals in your field.
Before you increase your activity, first understand who your market is. That’s right, you need to define your target
audience. I know the concepts of “market segmentation” or “target market” or “ideal client” might sound pretty boring. But you really need to do this so you can…
Focus your efforts.
When you focus your efforts you can more easily create multiple points of contact with potential clients. This means you will accelerate the process of awareness-trust-engagement.
Too often I speak with service providers who are advertising widely, letter-box dropping, or mailing out offers to all and sundry. They’re working on the
shotgun approach – which is so-called because the shot from the gun spreads very wide as it travels,
and each pellet makes a very small impact.
But instead of using a shotgun, I say you should really try to be a marketing
sniper. Pick your selected audience, and then find multiple opportunities to hit them with your message.
By increasing your level of perceived activity you will attract more clients. It works.
You might notice that I have described it as “perceived” activity. This is important, because what really matters is that you are
seen to be busy and in-demand.
To achieve this you really will need to do something. So don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that you should trick people into believing you are busy. But your activities
must first be noticed in order to create an impression.
Evaluate your activities to ensure you are getting the best impact in return for your efforts.
Be careful to avoid:
Networking events that are not
attended by potential clients or referrers.
Submitting articles to publications that are not read by your chosen audience
(i.e. your target market).
Participating in fringe industry groups that are not well known.
Sending out direct mail offers that
sound like you are desperate for work.
Creating a web site but failing to put in the effort to have it found on search engines or relevant directories.
Activity attracts. But don’t dance in the dark - make sure you get noticed.
|
