Many entrepreneurs experience stress while starting and running a business. Marketing is no small source of frustration, as small business owners who work alone or with a small staff usually end up wearing many hats. Taking a pragmatic approach to managing promotions by automating customer databases for use in online and offline marketing and pursuing powerful and mostly passive strategies such as sending business thank you cards can lighten your workload and provide peace of mind.
1. De-stress By Automating Some Stages of Your Marketing Workflow
Running a small business requires access to accurate and current customer contact information in addition to secure financial data. At minimum, a customer database should include full names, email addresses and mailing addresses. Most business software suites have automation tools that eliminate the need to manually enter any of this important data.
Automation sounds more difficult that it may end up being when a business uses the right operational and customer relationship management software. Third-party integration solutions can also provide access to complete and correct information across platforms.
The ready availability of information for use in marketing and planning reduces stress at every stage of operations, from keeping records to making data-driven plans. This is particularly the case when you factor in the frequency of errors in data that has been keyed in. A minor transcription mistake could previously cause a business to lose touch with potential repeat customers.
2. Show Gratitude and Give Back By Sending Business Thank You Cards
Expressing gratitude is an effective way to demonstrate appreciation for customers and forge lasting relationships. Business owners who are unsure of the best way to reach out to supporters should consider sending out thank you cards. After designing bulk cards, the design is printed and can be mailed with a minimal level of ongoing involvement on the part of owners or staff.
Ordering cards in bulk reduces the cost of each card as the quantity of cards in an order grows. A business owner and stakeholders can increase the peace of mind that comes with touching base with likely repeat customers by sending cards that also benefit charity. Select a registered tax-exempt charity to receive 20% of the cost of a card order with the option to include a charity line inside each card.
Business owners and stakeholders can choose to support any cause. Depending on the industry, selecting a relevant charitable organization or a group that is likely to appeal to the customer base of an operation are both good options.
3. Go Above and Beyond In Providing Goods and Services To Customers
Both of the preceding marketing methods can go a long way toward raising levels of customer satisfaction. A business should take measures to allow customers to consent to email or direct mail contact, and may even see better results by allowing customers to identify their preferred modes of contact.
When a customer makes a first-time or repeat purchase, business owners should always express appreciation. Customers who feel that a brand is willing to go the extra mile to keep their business are more likely to reward a business with loyalty and positive reviews or testimonials.
Reducing the number of tasks that a small business owner must take on alone or delegate to a small staff goes a long way towards promoting peace of mind. While startups and small businesses can be notoriously stressful work environments, these marketing strategies have the potential to make these enterprises run more efficiently while promoting customer loyalty. These three tips also dovetail together, as a business needs accurate contact information to send business thank you cards and take other measures to enhance customer experience.
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