Are you familiar with a drip irrigation system? It is an ingenious method of delivering water in small amounts directly to the plants in a garden. It is a very efficient way to distribute the water since water is only delivered where it is needed and in minute, targeted amounts. You can even set it up on a timer so that the watering occurs while you aren't even around.
The system can be designed with zones that can be opened and closed with valves. There are even valves to shut off individual lines of water controlling the amount of water to specific areas. It's a truly enjoyable experience to relax in your patio chair or swing, drinking a cool drink on a hot day in a dry season and know that all the plants about you are being watered. No more manual lugging the hose here and there in the far reaches of the garden making sure everything will survive. No more guilt if the plants look thirsty. With a simple punch of the timer button and a check that all is going well, watering is handled.
Think about installing a drip irrigation system for your marketing. What would that look like? It would mean that you have created a fairly automatic system for delivering your Core Marketing Message directly to your target audience, with no waste of resources. Your target market is kept current about your offerings. Consistent messaging keeps you "top of mind" when a need for your services arises. The steady preset message dripping creates the familiarity that eventually can lead to purchasing decisions.
What would an automatic drip irrigation marketing system look like? One great way to "install" such a system is to write a regular e-zine that goes out to your subscriber base. To attract subscribers, you provide content with high value, that people actually look forward to reading. What is the information about your services that will be most beneficial to potential customers?
Don't worry a lot about "giving away the store". Most people are not great at followthrough so they will still need your services. The others are opportunists who would never buy anyway...but they may refer others who will buy. Another excellent way to drip your marketing onto potential clients is a blog. Again, providing useful information that your target market is seeking is the key here. Some things to remember about blogging is that they are not not screened by spam filters. Blogs can be fed directly by RSS feed to subscribers. A different segment of your target audience looks for information on blogs rather than e-zines.
The most important "drip" component for most businesses is an effective web site. Having a web site that "sells" for you 24/7 is absolutely the most important tool for most businesses. Without an effective web site, your business does not "exist" to your target market. If you create your web site correctly, you will attract your target clients who are already pre-sold on what you offer.
Another great "drip" technique is some sort of contact management system that lets you store, retrieve info, and stay in touch with potential clients. This will allow you to inquire about activities your contact talked about during your last conversation, give them a call for their birthday, or remember if you had talked about meeting again or connecting at an event.
For some businesses, postcard campaigns can also be a great drip irrigation technique. You can use postcards to promote current "specials" or new offerings. A series of postcards delivered over time facilitates familiarity. While they are not for every business, they are perfect for some offerings of some businesses.
Give thought to installing a drip irrigation system to your marketing "garden". Provide information consistently that nurtures your customer relationships. There's a good bit of work involved in the setup, but the results can be spectacular.
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