Relationship-building
The best marketing plans include a lot of relationship-building between you (presumably a manager) and key people in the community, other businesses and customers.
Outlet relationship-building
- Strong presence in relevant information centres (eg. if your business is tourism-related, make contact with all relevant tourism outlets).
- Cross-promotion with other local businesses or websites
- Flyers or info. in newsletters for community centres and services. Eg. if you market to families with children see if the local child care centres will put your flyers into the pigeon holes/envelopes for parents
- Brochures in relevant local facilities like accomodation, cafes, libraries, fast food restaurants, churches, halls, clubs etc.
Customer relationship-building
Management need to identify and correspond with key people in the local community one on one. Key people include managers, trendsetters, politicians, celebrities, group leaders and the media. This can be achieved through business networking events and chambers of commerce, attending events and meetings of community groups and meeting people there, phoning and emailing leaders of community groups directly.
It may seem time-consuming to have to go to other organisations’ events, but the response rate of a mass communication (eg. emailing all the businesses in your area) will be very poor if not non-existent. You may meet less people for your hours spent at networking or attending other events, but the response rate will be much higher.
- Business marketing pointing out the appeal of the product or services for; staff incentives/rewards, social club activities, Christmas parties etc.
- See what you can do to help community groups like schools, foster parents associations, home school parents, youth and community services, churches, political groups, social groups, clubs, local businesses, SAHMs and WAHMs (especially when they are your target market)
- Organise and support fundraisers and charity events to appeal to the community spirit and gain greater acceptance
- Become actively involved in local business and tourism bodies to make networking inroads and to keep abreast of developments and directions
- Promote your products and services to the corporate sector if applicable.
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