Choose the Right Tools to Deliver Your Message

Advertising? Direct Mail? Catalogs? With so many ways to deliver your marketing messages, how do you know which one is the right one for your situation? There's no "one-tool-fits-all" answer. Choosing the right tools to deliver your message depends on who your target audience is and what stage of the buying process they are in - as well as how complex your message is and how much money you want to spend. The following guidelines can help you think about the best options for marketing your product, service or event effectively.

Define your audience.
If you want to announce a neighborhood watch meeting, you probably wouldn't pass out flyers all over town. You might reach the people who live in your neighborhood, but you'd also waste a lot of time and money communicating with those who don't. By carefully defining your target audience, you can focus your communications dollars more effectively. Be specific:

• Are you targeting the general public regardless of age or economic status? Are you focused on students? Business people? Senior citizens?
• Do you want to reach primarily current customers or new customers?
• Is your audience located across the globe, across the country or within a specific region, city or organization?
• Do you have specific names and contact information for all audience members, or are you on a "fishing expedition," hoping to identify new prospects?

Meet them where they are.
The process of marketing is much like dating. You wouldn't move from the first date directly to a marriage proposal. You'd take time to get to know each other first. Potential customers also need a little wooing. You need to flirt a little first, show them why your product or service is a good match for them, and build trust before you attempt to make the sale. Determining where your target audience members are in the buying process will help you decide which tools to use with which prospects. If you're still flirting with potential customers, you need to build awareness and positive perceptions of your offering. If you have a prospect's name, there are additional options to deliver more detailed messages and help them get to know you better, including:

• Direct marketing - email, postcards or personal letters - The best approach is to offer something and make it easy for the reader to respond. (Also see the PROforma "HowTo" entitled How to Do Direct Mail that Can't Fail.)
• Brochures and capabilities literature
• Advertising - newspaper, magazine, TV, radio and outdoor
• Booklets
• Bulletins
• Flyers
• Tradeshows and other events
• Public relations
• Web sites
• Presentation folders
• Product profiles, data sheets and sell sheets
• Newsletters

Building trust involves addressing the prospect's particular needs and concerns. You can do this through:

• White papers from experts on relevant technology
• Case histories of successful applications
• Testimonials from other customers
• Sales presentation tools for face-to-face meetings

Consider ROI.
Of course, any tool you choose to market to your customer must also fit within your budget. But the initial cost of a developing a printed piece or other tool is not the only measurement. Wise marketers always consider the potential return on their investment. As my uncle Leo used to say,  You have to spend money to make money, but don't spend a dollar to make 50 cents. 

If you follow-up quickly and effectively with those that respond to your initial communications, your personal selling effort will be the key to turning the most interested prospects into customers. If you can accomplish this with 4% of your initial prospect pool (10 prospects) and your sales projections are accurate, you could gain a 200% return on your marketing investment.

Just as important, when you actively track the results of your marketing efforts, your knowledge of what works and what doesn't increases - and you get better and better at choosing the right tools in the future.

Let us help you deliver your message successfully. PROforma can help you develop flyers, brochures, magnets, bumper stickers, newsletters and other print materials to help potential customers get to know you better.