Businesses of all types and sizes need to ensure that their outreach investment yields a
superior return. Here are some tips to help you develop marketing and advertising that will
achieve this goal.

►Engaging—your marketing and advertising needs to capture attention within the marketplace
and engage prospects with your company and your services or products. You have only a few
seconds to engage your prospects and entice them to read further, learn more, or connect with
you on another platform. Make sure your outreach is well written and designed to achieve this
goal.

►Targeted—be sure that your marketing and advertising is created with your target market
clearly in mind. Speak their language. Communicate items that are of primary importance
and value to them. Create a design that will be visually appealing to them. Although you are
reaching out to a broad audience—your target market prospects should get the sense that you
are speaking directly to them.

►Value Propositions—the strengths and unique assets that set you apart from your competition
should be presented effectively in your marketing and advertising. Your value propositions
answer the question—why choose your firm over the competition? Ensure that they are woven
into every form of your outreach.

►Call to Action—what do you want your target market prospects to do? Is that clear and
compelling in your outreach? Make taking the next step to connect with your business an easy
one for your prospects.

Ask the following questions as each outreach component for your business is created:

►Is this outreach piece engaging?

►Does it speak clearly to our target market prospects?

►Do our value propositions come through effectively?

►Is the call to action clear and compelling?

If you can answer yes to the four questions above for each of your outreach components—you
can be assured that your business will achieve a superior return on your outreach investment.

The most effective and successful outreach is achieved by implementing a strategic outreach plan that addresses specific goals and objectives and encompasses a combination of marketing, advertising, public relations, and a strong web presence.  Your strategic outreach plan should be developed in a menu-driven manner so it can be implemented incrementally as your budget permits. 

Consistency with your branding is very important.  Your brand includes your visual images, color palette, text, tone, and messaging.  It is critical to create a well-considered brand that speaks to your target markets and conveys your value propositions—what sets you apart from your competition.  Ensure that all of your outreach supports and leverages your brand.  Repeatedly tweaking and changing your brand weakens your position in the marketplace.  You want your clients to see or read something and know it is yours—branding recall is one of the greatest returns on your outreach investment. 

Evaluate your strategic outreach plan twice a year and make any revisions that are necessary to respond to current economic conditions, trends, and new developments in technology.  Take the pulse of your plan and its results and modify it as needed. 

Request feedback from your new clients or customers to find out which outreach components brought them to you and why.  Was it a referral from one of your clients or customers?  A particular brochure, flyer, or direct mail piece?  A specific ad?  A press release in their favorite magazine or newspaper?  Don’t interrogate—just try to obtain this information as feasible without pressuring your prospects in any way.  

Ask for feedback from your existing customers to find out what makes them a loyal client or customer of yours.  What are you doing well?  What can you do better?  Annual surveys to your clients are enlightening and produce valuable insight into your client base.  The more informed you are about your clients or customers—their evolving needs, preferences, and priorities—the more successful you will be.

Reach out regularly to remain in the forefront of your target markets’ minds.  Showcase how you meet their needs.  Highlight why you are valuable to them.  All of these are critical to the expansion of your business and the increase of your sales.  Successful outreach is an ongoing journey—it is not a destination.

Questions or comments? Write to: liz@mountainviewmarketingllc.com.