Believe it or not, some businesses still haven’t yet ventured into digital marketing territory.
The message to them has got to be: “Hurry up”.
The number of businesses already building their ‘digital footprint’ through social networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, continues to grow rapidly.
Those who wait for too long to develop their digital presence could end up losing ground to their competitors and maybe even losing clients.
But there is a much more exciting opportunity on offer if you know how to get your digital marketing right.
I spoke recently to a business that was only using one method of marketing to find customers. Sure they had a website, but they weren’t properly using digital means to actually attract and ‘find’ themselves more prospects to engage with.
Maybe traditional marketing methods, such as telemarketing, direct mailouts and business networking are ingrained into our beliefs and prevent us from understanding the totally different principles and new rules behind internet marketing.
In the past we had to go out and find businesses that wanted our services and that may have included knocking on doors and making cold calls – simply to discover that one ‘suitable’ prospect.
All very time-consuming though wasn’t it?
Things improved when we discovered database marketing which offered us a ready-made list of ‘more relevant’ businesses to approach and we all got on the phone. Telesales can still work of course but needs to be run in conjunction with other efforts to see a decent return.
But nowadays we have a perfect solution…
Right message, Right Person, Right timing is the key
Using this wonderful opportunity that is ‘social media’, we can not only find customers that are actually looking for what we are selling, but we can start communicating with them and provide them with information that they need, without leaving our desk.
How good is that? – Especially when we have two feet of snow outside!
We can approach these ‘targeted prospects’ in a proper and effective manner. We can then attract and nurture them in a way that our competitors are still trying to do by foot, phone and car – without all the additional time and expense that goes along with those efforts!
By the time we have finished carefully nurturing these prospects, they will have been properly qualified and in many cases, displaying buying signals.
Wouldn’t it then be the best time to call them?
Absolutely it would – without you actually ever having sat in a sales meeting? (Anyone who isn’t totally comfortable in a sales environment should be calling me right now! lol.)
Look, if you prefer to use your feet, your face, or your telephone to contact all your potential customer that’s fine.
But if you can find out how to do it to the right prospect, armed with the right information for them and do it very specifically, at the right time there is a serious danger that you will become very successful!
For help with finding a social media-supported sales solution, please contact David at M3 Media Publishing on 08450 519374
