Experts

By Linda Hailey, Author and Founder - Hailey Enterprises

It’s a sign of the times!!

I sometimes think that signage and visibility are the forgotten heroes of marketing.  It seems that advertising is way sexier, customer service is more important and promotions are more fun.  But when it comes to value for money signs and visual marketing are hands down winners.

The more people who know about your business the more likely you are to attract new clients.  People are often drawn to a business because they had a visual prompt.  In retail this is often a stunning window display or a tempting special promoted on an A board outside the shop.  In service businesses the attraction could be an interesting brochure, an informative Website or an article in a magazine.  Simple things like an html email signature that includes pictures of you, your team or your products are like mini signs that your clients see every day.

Visibility is an area where it pays to think creatively! I recently spotted a couple of very clever ideas.  I was driving to an early morning meeting along a road which runs alongside a beachside reserve.  As I was crawling along in heavy traffic a brightly coloured car in the car park reserve caught my attention, it was a brand new car cleverly sign written by the local car dealership, as I crawled along the highway I noticed another five or six dealership cars positioned strategically in the empty car park.  What a great idea, the dealership has expanded its display space and reached a new market that may not drive past the dealership at very little cost!

In a regional town I came across a clever health service business located upstairs which had dramatically improved its visibility with professional signage in the window of an empty shop downstairs!  The owner had simply approached the local estate agent offering to pay for the sign writing of the shop window including a panel promoting that the shop was vacant in return for use of the space.  As shops were very difficult to lease in this particular town, the business owner knew she had at least 6 months free promotion of her business!

One of my clients is on to a real visibility winner. They have a policy of always parking their brightly signed service vehicles in the street so their vehicles become mini billboards.  The cost of parking meters is offset by the large number of calls they receive from potential clients.

There may be ways you can increase the visibility and awareness of your business.

4      Ask yourself is there an opportunity to use vehicle signage, if you already have vehicle signage, make sure it is easily read and contact details are up to date. 

4      Generate visibility for a whole new target market.  Search for Websites that already reach your target market and if they are compatible with your business, approach the company to see if you can exchange links.

4      If you don’t mind public speaking, you could offer to do a presentation at a networking group or run a free workshop for an organisation that reaches your potential clients. 

4      Make the effort to enter business or industry awards and make sure you promote your success when you win! 

4      Submit an article or send a press release to a trade publication which is read by your target market.  The trick here is to make it interesting reading and not just an “ad” for your business.  This strategy is often more successful than advertising as an article has that illusive “credibility factor”. 

4      If you are in retail think of signs as your silent sales team; they sell the benefits of your business all day, every day.  What’s more they don’t take lunch breaks, make personal phone calls or have days off!!   

-         Think about where you place your signs, many retailers only have signs outside their shop.  Remind people where they are shopping with in store signs and while you are at it, make sure customers see your signs as they turnaround to walk out of the store.  Often the space above the door is a great spot for a reminder sign. 

-         You can also use shelf tickets to promote particular products and give customers heaps of helpful information. Traditionally tickets are used primarily for price but can also answer customer’s unasked questions e.g. 100% wool, designed exclusively for us, easy care, Australian made. Small A4 tickets can be used to promote services that you may not have time to mention such as gift wrapping, ethical buying guidelines, internet shop or VIP club.

So don’t be one of those hidden businesses make “See and be seen” your new small businesses mantra and get out there and be visibile!

About Linda Hailey
 
Linda Hailey is a small business consultant, keynote speaker and author in the areas of marketing, growth and customer service. As a small business consultant, Linda is known for her down to earth, practical approach and has worked with clients ranging from multimillion dollar operations to sole traders to boost their bottom line using cost effective strategies. Her client list includes distributors, service businesses, retail outlets, health professionals, training and recruitment companies, tourism operators and graphic designers. Linda also works extensively in regional Australia developing marketing plans for small towns and acting as a trouble shooter for small communities who are facing challenges ranging from the closure of a major industry to disruptive road works in the main street. She is a keynote speaker on small business presenting in regional areas, interstate and overseas for government departments, corporate clients, franchise organisations and small business associations. She speaks at over 100 presentations a year on topics ranging from customer service and business growth to no nonsense marketing. Linda’s presentations have inspired thousands of business owners to grow their business using her common sense, cost effective ideas and strategies for marketing. She is the author of Kickstart Marketing – the no-nonsense system for boosting your business, which includes a step by step system for conducting a marketing audit, tips and tricks and lots of real life examples of inspiration, and Your Business Your Future – How to predict and plan for growth, which is based on years of research into the predictable growth phases of any business.
http://www.lindahailey.com.au