Success in any trade business requires a high level of expertise in the particular trade services being provided. Unfortunately, may business owners stop there. They seem to subscribe to the ‘better mousetrap’ theory of business that, translated to tradies speak, says: ”
If you’re the best at your trade, people will beat a path to your door to hire you.”
Unfortunately, those who believe that will ultimately fail. In order for any business to succeed, it must be marketed. In a sense, it’s the reverse of the mousetrap theory because you have to beat a path to your target market’s door. That’s what
marketing for tradesmen
is really all about. Here are 3 elements of marketing that are a must for virtually any tradesman business:
1. Market to the virtual world.
There are lots of reasons why marketing online is a must. But the two primary ones are potential market reach and cost effectiveness.
Over the past several years, the number of people using the internet has grown. And the amount of time people devote each day to online activities has also grown. Both trends will continue for the foreseeable future. Add to that potential reach the fact that much of internet marketing is free or costs very little, and you end up with a great combination of reach and cost-effectiveness.
2. Market to the real world.
Before you get excited about online marketing to the point of excluding real world marketing altogether, wait. There is, and always will be, a place for marketing in the real world. Truck signage, business cards, direct mail, broadcast media advertising, etc. will always play an important role in marketing. In fact, integrating online and offline marketing makes both more powerful. So you must continue to do both.
3. Market to referrals.
You might say that marketing to referrals is applicable to both the real and virtual world, and you’d be right. The reason it’s mentioned here as an essential element of marketing is its tremendous effectiveness. Any sales expert will tell you that it’s far easier to sell to someone who’s been referred to you by a satisfied customer than to a cold prospect. Whether it’s a satisfied customer ‘liking’ and ‘sharing’ you Facebook page, or giving your business card to a friend, referrals can happen in both worlds. The point is, you must make asking for, and marketing to, customer referrals a significant part of your overall marketing strategy.
We invite you to visit our blog often for more marketing tips and ideas. To learn how we can help grow your trade business, contact us
online
or call 1800 932 669. We also invite you to follow us on
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