At its most basic level, marketing can be summarized in two simple statements: Customers have problems. Businesses have solutions.
In other words, marketing aims to show how your company can fix a customer’s pain points. Studies show that 70 percent of consumers purchase something to solve a problem. So, by discovering what your customers (and prospects) need, you’ll be closer to offering a solution. Asking the right questions and offering marketing giveaways can help you make your marketing—and your customer connections—better.
Discovery
Before you can start solving problems, you have to know what those problems are.
Copypress suggests these ways to learn more about customer pain points:
- Talk to customer service and sales reps: Because they’re in direct contact with customers, they’ll often be able to tell you about unmet needs.
- Read reviews: By going online and reading about how people perceive your products or services (or ones similar to yours) you can learn how to improve what you offer. You may also learn new ways to highlight what you already have.
- Survey customers: By going directly to your customers and asking for honest feedback, you can learn what your product or service can—or can’t—do for them.
If you decide to conduct a survey, you’ll want to show your appreciation to those who complete it. Small gifts have been shown to increase survey completion, so offer them a smartphone stand or a Charging Cable Key Light. If the survey is online, request contact information to mail a postcard with a special offer on it as a thank-you gift.
Solve their problems
Now that you have a better understanding of what your customers need, you can more fully determine how to act.
- If your product or service isn’t addressing customers’ top needs, you might need to create new products or service lines.
- If your product addresses customer needs, make sure potential customers are aware of it. Create a new ad campaign, post more information on your social platforms or optimize your website with keywords that may help people find your solutions.
- If people aren’t getting the most out of your product or services, educate them. Write blogs, create videos, offer webinars or provide other material that tells customers how to use your products to their best advantage.
No matter which action you take, marketing promotional items can help. For example, if your auto-repair business is going to open a 24-hour emergency service, consider giving out car-shaped sticky-notes with your new hours. If you want people to read your new eBook, make it available for download on your website and share the link on social media or via an email blast. Enter those who download it in a draw for a high-end marketing giveaway, like a rolling picnic set.
Get more customers
Customers have problems that you can solve. By discovering those problems, you will be better able to offer the solution they need. When problems lead to solutions, it’s a win-win!