(The following article is one of several adapted from information presented in seminars this writer attended at the Starkey Hearing Innovation Expo held in Las Vegas Jan. 4 through 7.)
Marketing is all about creating an image of your company and reaching your potential market. In the past, a Yellow Pages ad and direct mail were the tools of choice. Those were followed by Bulk Mail, Tele-Marketing, and cultivating Professional and/or User Referrals. In today’s world, all of these methods still have value.
But the above methods are no longer the only way to reach your market. Your potential market has changed with the onset of the Internet and Baby Boomers. The end of the war was the start of this generation and the advent of the Pill ended it. But these people grew up with Pac-Man and so much more. As they have reached the point of being the “Young Old” (YO), they use technology a lot more than you might suspect, or at least more than I realized, and I’m one of them.
90% of the YO still use the Yellow Pages, but almost 90% also use Facebook, and 40% use Twitter. They also use other less well-known Social Media sites. 7.5 million people 65+ of age use Facebook, while YouTube is also heavily used by seniors, and 65% of all businesses have a web site. So how are you using these sites to bring in business? If you don’t know what to do, find someone who does (see previous blog). The life of your business could depend on it since your competition isn’t standing still.
There are plenty of web site developers, marketing companies and children next door who can help you get started or freshen up what you already have. In addition, utilize your suppliers. They have a vested interest in seeing that you succeed.
A friend I recently talked with said that he hates to get involved with any of the electronic communication “stuff.” A while back he hired his daughter to help out with the front office. Gradually she has brought the office into the current era by handling all of the eMail, Facebook, Twitter and Web activities of the office while he is left to do what he loves…see clients.
Surveys have shown that people believe 14% of what they see in advertisements, but believe 90% of what they get through Social Media sites. Comments on Social Media sites are taken as personal referrals. Do you have some happy clients who use these sites. Maybe you can get them to post some compliments about you. Remember the old adage…”A satisfied customer may tell 2 or 3 people, a dissatisfied customer will tell 10,” or in today’s age – the whole world.
Print media is still important, but less so than in years past. Don’t ignore its potential, but it is suggested that you devote 50% of your budget to new methods of client development.
Do you have a database of your client’s eMail addresses? If not, get started. Regular communication with a purpose will be appreciated. Special sales, time for a checkup/retest, instrument cleaning, changes in staff, etc., are all things that your clients will appreciate finding out about, along with a little bit of information about the new technologies. Many of your clients may be shut-ins. We are all social animals, so why not be social? Communicate!
