Boots on the ground marketing…

Have you ever done any “boots on the ground” type of marketing?

You know, the kind that involves going door to door, or maybe setting up a table at a fair or a booth at an event?

This type of marketing can be the most rewarding and yet the most exhaustive as well.

The interesting thing to note is that when it’s done well, it REALLY works.

What does done well essentially mean:

1. In Your Marketing Materials – Take a direct response approach where you’re using these 5 elements of the sales message: Check out my friend and stellar copywriter Julie–
   
2. Make sure you have defined your dream client(s) and where you can find them. (Or where they hang out.) So don’t get a table at a boat show, if you’re selling quilts. :-).
   
3. Your Core Messaging – THIS is really important. Make sure you have consistent messaging and that it resonates with them and it’s spot on for your brand.
   
4. Call to Action (CTA)– This is where a good number of entrepreneurs fall down on their marketing – they forget to “ask” for the sale. Or don’t have a clear call to action.
   
5. Make it REALLY Easy for Them to Take the Next Step – Don’t assume they know what to do next. TELL them EXACTLY what they need to do. Treat them like 4th graders and don’t leave anything to chance. Whether it’s buying, giving their contact details, etc.
   
6. Get Your Copy Edited – I know this sounds a bit basic, yet you wouldn’t believe how many emails I used to send out and proposals that had typos. It’s unprofessional and not putting your best foot forward. So hire an assistant as I did, or get a good program like Grammarly to help you.

Lastly, please don’t do what this poor landscaper did today. (Which actually inspired this email.) I take my dogs for a walk every day. And heading out this morning I saw a neon green thing on my driveway. As it turned out it was a sealed baggie with a neon green piece of paper and a rock inside of it. (To keep it from blowing away.)

I will give the company kudos for making it stand out, and their “boots on the ground approach.”

Someone went around the neighborhood really early in the morning, or late last night to put these out on all the driveways in the area.

Yet, when I opened the bag to get the sheet, the first thing I saw was a typo. And not just any typo – it’s a landscaper. They misspelled the word “Landscape.” Eeek, check out the photo.

The moral of this story – make sure you edit your copy and have someone else look at it before you send out something important. 🙂

• 

• 

Here’s to Your Soulful Success,

Shannon


Note 1: Do you like Jelly Beans? I had no idea that it took over a week to make a jelly bean… This was a really interesting article about their process.