WHAT is the #1 TECHNICAL TOOL in MARKETING that’s the LEAST USED or LEAST UNDERSTOOD?
It is a vital tool to market anything—and by that, I mean presenting and promoting an idea, product, or service to certain public and getting them to like, join or buy it.
The answer is research and in-depth surveys to market any product and service or introduce Public Relations or Branding ideas. It is step zero before anything else. The word “survey” has several definitions. One definition is to look over something carefully, as a whole and in detail. It is not just a questionnaire form.
Most people who are active are surveying many times over the year. You take note of what food to buy that your family or spouse like, so you can be efficient at the store that week. You look over an area where to base your business so that you are positioned near your potential public in the best location. You take any new idea you have for a product or service and ask all your friends and family what they think. Or you put your idea up in pictures online on Facebook, and YouTube and see what people say. There are many more examples, but I think you get what I mean now. We are always researching and surveying in life.
When marketing a business, here are specific examples:
RESEARCH: Say you have a bright idea, like starting a non-profit company but can’t see the whole picture and only a few details. You want it to be successful.
The first thing is to research and look over the field, see if anyone is doing something similar and what are they doing, is it successful or not? Where do they promote and get funding? Maybe you want to do a sales funnel? You may want to base it in a state that gives tax breaks to non-profits, and has inexpensive housing, supply lines, etc. so you research this, online and with reference librarians or have a company do this.
Then you are all set and want to tell people about it, get it known, so you research to find out avenues that will let you promote inexpensively—PR articles online, newspapers in an area, magazines in a certain field, etc. And get the demographic information for your area(s) free at the local Chamber of Commerce, or online at the US Census Bureau. You are all set now, but don’t forget one key step! What is the profile of the people you are trying to reach, trying to get donations from, trying to interest? Who are these people? Get full lists of them, literally.
Marketing is alive, active, and a process that is changing all the time to accommodate what the majority of the people want or accept now. IT IS FOR PEOPLE—they are the key. Your target for promotion is not a “thing”, it is people and you must get inside their heads and find out by ASKING them. You must COMMUNICATE with them. And not just tell them to buy. If you only want to coerce them, fool them, scam them, that is another story and one that is NOT effective in the long term. People can sense when you are being honest, and when you really want to know what they want, really are listening to them.
These days with so much divisive behavior and talk, it is confusing. All the more important to gain the true information and ASK them, with an in-depth, properly worded, unbiased marketing survey. Professionals will all tell you they prefer someone that can communicate well and ask them what THEY think, not assume. A conversational-developed survey that elicits an emotional response is vital to gain their real answers, the answers that you must know in order to compose the right message to them: A message that hits home
It is vital to know and use research and surveys in your business to gain the best results. Any field can use this, whether a business owner, engineer, inventor, writer with a new book, filmmaker, doctor, lawyer or Indian Chief. Yes, I have worked with all of these over 25+ years and have seen great gains. I want you to have success too.
Use all the tools you can and be a great success! We all need a bit more clarity.
Let me know how I can help!
Lynda E. Hubbard,
President, Trendcreators.com
ENVISION, RESEARCH, CREATE