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For small business owners, successful marketing in the sea of big business ads can be difficult to achieve. Building your clientele from scratch can seem like a tedious and slow moving process but it is something that everyone has to do. Here are some hints into some basic human behavioral characteristics that may help you when you develop your marketing techniques.
#1) Scarcity
This concept is based on the idea of supply and demand. The more rare a products is the more valuable it appears to have. Wording is really important when it comes to this idea as well. You have to approach it as if the product has been in high demand already. Let’s use a fictional book store as an example:
”We only have a few copies of Stephen King’s newest book (which has now been turned into a TV series) left! Hurry in to get your copy while supplies last!”
Now, she didn’t start off by saying that she has a limited amount of books. She built on the fact that they used to have a lot before everyone started to buy it up.
#2) Committing
Customers love commitment. If you commit to them, they will reciprocate. If you say that you’re going to be a part of a community service event, you better be there. Your loyalty to the cause will cause your customers to devote more time with you as well.
As far as community service events go, try to pick charities that are near and dear to your heart. Bonus if it has something to do with your business. For example, our favorite bookseller could choose between a few library events, an event hosted by her local literacy council, or an event hosted by a local writers’ group.
Commitments come in other forms as well. If you’re advertising a sale, make sure that you’re committed to it. If you’re advertising a special event or a special guest stopping by, make sure that it happens.
#3) Authority
It’s in our nature to want to obey authority figures. So make sure that people see you as an authority figure in your field. Stay in the loop with the current developments in your field. That means go to the latest conventions and seminars involving your products.
Not only that but promote authority figures (in your field) in your store. Let’s go back to our bookstore, shall we. She should host book signings, guest speakers, and hold readings in her store.
#4) Anticipation
Making your customers wait for a new product is another way for you to build an audience for your goods. There are a few different ways to apply this to your marketing design.
Time delay means that you hold the item back just slightly. Don’t give it to them right away. Do a bit of advertising before you put it out on sale.
Now in order for the time delay to work well, you can drop hints about the product before you release it. Give your target audience hints about what the product looks like, the things that it is capable of doing, etc. Keep your customers guessing and asking questions.
”We’ve got the brand new book from one of your favorite sci-fi authors. Tell me, which sci-fi writer would you like to see make a come-back? What is your favorite sci-fi book?”
#5) Reciprocity
It’s a simple concept. You teach your kids to “do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” So how can you use this in marketing? Well, the concept is that if you do something for your target audience, they will feel compelled to do something for you as well.
It could be something as simple as just browsing your store or your website, or it could be donating money to your foundation or buying one of your products.
#6) Recency Illusion
This is my favorite and quite an interesting topic. We’ve all experienced this before. Remember when you bought your latest car? Then, suddenly you started seeing that type everywhere? That’s what the recency illusion is. After you encounter something (an ad, a product, a service, anything) for the first time, all of a sudden, whenever you see it, it sticks out.
Now those things have always been there. You just never paid attention to it before. So how can we use this in advertising? Make sure that you don’t pigeon-hole your ads. You can’t just create one ad (let’s say, a billboard) and expect that to be enough. Customers should always be reminded of your store.
If someone wanders into our bookstore, she should leave and start noticing ads everywhere. After that, she’ll be talking about it with all her friends.
“Oh, yeah, it is this little hole-in-the-wall bookstore. It’s so cute! They have the most obscure books on absolutely everything and the owner is such a sweet girl!”
I absolutely agree with the second point. Businesses that are loyal to their customers are businesses building a very loyal customer base. For instance, after a hurricane, my bank sent out information to customers who lived in the affected areas, informing them how to file insurance claims from storm damage. That is looking out for your customers’ best interests!
You are so right. I think part of it is creating a personal relationship. If you can make it feel more like they are buying from people they know, they are more likely to buy than if it just feels like they are giving their money to a faceless corporation.