Maximize Attention for Your Small Business

If you have a great product or service that people want you
are well on your way to being successful. However, in order
to lock in and grow your success you need to maximize the
attention your products and services get.

As a small business owner you probably don’t have millions
of dollars to spend on advertising campaigns to drill your
company’s name into your prospects minds. That’s okay.
Many small business owners find their success by effectively
developing and using their marketing message. You can use
your marketing message to position your business in such a
way that your prospects will think of you when they decide
it’s time to take action to tackle a problem they have that
you help solve.

A marketing message is not a slogan or catch phrase. There
is an important difference. An effective marketing message
speaks directly to a specific audience and features
benefits, results and the value of a product or service.
Slogans and catch phrases often have nothing to do with a
specific market or results and benefits. Slogans and catch
phrases are used by big companies to imprint their corporate
image in our minds simply by sheer repetition. They need
not relate to hamburgers or sneakers for us to immediately
associate a couple of words with the appropriate company.

Here are five simple steps you can take to help maximize
attention for your business.

1. Drop the Slogan
If you’re using a slogan or catch phrase to market your
small business you’re probably missing opportunities to have
prospects identify you as the solution to their problem. If
your slogan does not clearly identify the population you
serve and the results you provide you are definitely
allowing business to pass you by.

Make the decision to drop the slogan and develop and use a
marketing message. You will increase your ability to
develop new business.

2. Develop or Correct Your Marketing Message
Once you have decided to let your slogan go the way of the
Dodo you must develop your marketing message. When writing
your marketing message think about those you help and the
benefits they seek from your product or service. Ask
yourself as many questions as you can to identify your
customers and the results they seek. When you’ve answered
these questions you can use the information you’ve gathered
to put together a marketing message that sells.

3. Use Your Marketing Message
Once you’ve developed your marketing message you’ll want to
include it any aspect of your business where a marketing
opportunity may present itself. Remember, the purpose of
using a marketing message is much the same as that of a
slogan or catch phrase, you want to position your business
in your prospects minds so that they think of you when they
decide to take action to solve their problem.

Because you don’t have the capital to run thousands of
television and full page print ads in major periodicals, you
must massage your marketing message into the every-day
occurrences of running your business.

For example, how often do you give someone a business card
or answer the phone? These are great opportunities to
splash your prospects with your marketing message. You
don’t need a $2.5 million commercial to run during The Big
Game to successfully market your business. So, do some
brainstorming and come up with a list of other frequent
opportunities where you can use your marketing message.
You’ll be glad you did!

4. Demonstrate Value
If your marketing message is good it will help your
prospects recognize you as the solution to their problem and
it will also inspire them to take the action you want them
to take; visit your web site, for example. Use this step to
demonstrate value to your prospects. Once you’ve drawn them
in, show them you’re for real by giving something away for
free in exchange for their contact information. Some common
giveaways are E-Books or instructional articles. By giving
something away you create the opportunity to demonstrate
your expertise and you also give your prospects something to
talk about with their peers and colleagues. There’s nothing
like word of mouth referrals.

5. Develop a Relationship
Once you have your prospects’ contact information you can
maximize attention for your business by staying in touch. I
suggest publishing a helpful newsletter. Send it as often
as you can, but probably not more than once a week. You
don’t want to become a bother to your prospects. Get
permission to send it when your prospects sign up for your
freebie. We don’t want to send unwanted email.

By sending a periodic newsletter or other correspondence you
help to keep yourself on your prospects radar screen. As
time moves on you will maintain your position in your
prospects’ minds and vastly improve your chances of having
them turn to you when they decide they need help. You can
also use your newsletter to inform them of new products and
services as you develop them.

Move Your Marketing Forward
Make the decision to drop the slogan and take the time to
develop, use and follow through with your marketing message.
You will be amazed by your ability to have new clients
contact you.