The secret of great direct marketing is the same as the secret of great comedy – Timing! Steve delivers this witticism to me a lot in his best Les Dawson voice (or it could be Tommy Cooper – I’ve never dared ask for clarification!). However, despite Steve’s dubious impressionism skills, his point is a good one.
To get the best ROI out of your marketing budget you need to get the right message to the right person at the right time.
Time to get heard
So you’ve got your message finely honed, you have the right people to talk to about your message. All you have to do is to drop that message in front of them just when they need it.
‘But that’s impossible I hear you cry! Well, you’re right to a degree. However, you don’t need far-reaching telepathic skills to give yourself a chance of getting your message across at a time when your prospects are in a receptive mood!
Top 5 Tips for Timing
Be a Regular
It’s true to say that you won’t make a sale from every email/leaflet you send or phone call you to make, but any kind of direct marketing has the important function of building brand awareness and trust. If you are in regular contact with your contacts and prospects about what you do and the value of your products/services, then you have a better chance of springing to mind when what you do is what they need!
Be a Goer
Research seminars and events that will be attended by people you would like to market to. Networking in this way is always good for brand and relationship building whether you attend as a delegate or stallholder. Added to this, you will always come away with armfuls of information about new prospects (don’t forget to follow up on every new contact you make).
Be Thematic
A quick trawl through Google will make you realise how many ‘themed weeks’ there are in this country from Global Entrepreneur Week to British Pie Week. Have a think about whether you can market your business to that sector. If the answer is yes then you can make a marketing strategy – a mailshot the month before, an email campaign in the weeks running up to it, and finally may be attending.
Be Seasonal
It’s fair to say that only a limited number of people are going to take interest in your super-value paddling pools when they’ve just got in from chipping the ice off the fish pond. However, if you make finely crafted and decorated wellies, then a campaign in the run-up to the UK festival season is a good idea! Being seasonal is an excellent way of getting the timing of your message right. Our blog: Ready, set, go 2014 – What’s your Marketing Strategy? at the beginning of January generated a lot of interest as it appealed to people arriving back at their desks knowing they needed a positive plan in order for January not to slip away.
It’s not just about the time of year though. Industries have their own seasons which might be worth keeping an eye on. If your business is copywriting for accountancy firms, then it’s probably best not to expect a response if you are marketing to them as year-end approaches! Be Opportunistic
What’s going on in the world that you can link to your direct marketing message? The Tour de France saw many Yorkshire businesses taking the opportunity to promote themselves in relation to the event. What’s going on in your region, industry and further afield that is of interest to your prospects and that you can affiliate your message with?
It’s worth bearing in mind that when it comes to the prospects in your contacts list, a ‘no’ is quite often actually a ‘no, not just yet’. A regular relationship building campaign of relevant and timely information can radically increase your chances of a sale.
As the great Yogi Berra (played for the New York Yankees back in the day) said ‘You don’t have to swing hard to hit a home run. If you got the timing, it’ll go’.
Please get in touch if you would like to discuss how getting the right message to the right person at the right time could help grow your business, or if you’re interested in joining us at one of our networking events.
