Marketing 101 for Facility Managers: How to Create a Competitive Advantage

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2 Marketing 101 for Facility Managers: How to Create a Competitive Advantage Presented by: Shari Sutton, Owner Sutton Watkins Advertising & Marketing Marketing Management Solutions

3 Easy Tactics: 5 Takeaways You Can Implement NOW! Citation management (directory-listing management) Reputation management (online reviews) marketing campaigns Effective Craigslist campaigns Community events Time is the single most precious commodity in the universe. ~From the film Jupiter Ascending, Warner Brothers, 2015

4 Citation Management How local list management works: Search engines pull business information from a variety of sources: Five major aggregators Hundreds of secondary directories Incorrect or out-of-date information shows up in search results: Even if you ve claimed your listings, incorrect data continues to show up. Maintaining these listings is critical to your business.

5 List-Management Resources There are different services out there such as Moz Local (DIY approximately $84 per year/per location) and others. Benefits of subscribing to a list service/provider: Push business listings to major data aggregators Manage your location information Re-verify your listings Find and resolve duplicate listings

6 Reputation Management Your online reputation can instantly set you apart from your competition. If you nurture online reviews and encourage happy customers to leave recommendations, over time, this will start showing up in the search engines and sway buyers to you. 70 percent of global consumers indicate they trust online reviews when making purchasing decisions. Set up and claim your business listings on Yelp and Google+. These reviews show up high in search engines and make you stand out. There s a 4:1 ratio of positive to negative customer reviews. You have to ask customers for a referral. When asked, 68 percent of people will leave a review, but only 4 percent are asked!

7 Marketing Campaigns These campaigns are an easy and effective way to stay in touch with customers, prospects, and potential lead sources. Constant Contact, MailChimp, Emma Mail Customizable templates Word Press plugins, Google analytics, social media apps Be consistent. Include promotional value/incentive. Use easy-to-respond calls to action. Inlclude an opt-out clause.

8 Campaign Samples Welcome Move-Ins Thank Move-Outs Seasonal Call to action/incentive

9 Craigslist Campaigns Craigslist is picked up in Google search results. It brings in rentals. Gets an estimated 10 million unique visitors per day Connects buyers and sellers Requires strategy to be effective: Include important search terms Call to action Images and text Post often Track your results with unique offers, call-tracking numbers, website landing pages

10 Community Events Keeping tabs on industry trends, competition and your target market is key to survival and growth. Tracking these while ignoring the community outside your front door is like checking for vital signs without taking a pulse! Community-relations efforts can t always be directly linked to bottom-line results, but don t discount the intangible connections and halo effects achieved by supporting your community. What s good for your community is also good for your business. Sponsor a clothing or toy drive. Hold a food drive for your local food bank. Set specific goals for your events (fill a unit, partner with a local non-profit, invite media to do a story).

11 Relationship Marketing Relationships with real estate brokers/agents and relocation departments are important ones to foster and grow. Larger brokerage firms often have preferred vendor programs: Monthly fee Vendor meetings (generally a breakfast or lunch) Promoted to all agents/clients Opportunities to promote your facility at agent sales meetings Promote your referral program to agents. Special-event sponsorships Opportunities to network with agents and brokers Sponsor continuing education courses, etc. Agents love having a valued partnership with storage facilities and can become one of your biggest referral resources.

12 Successful Referral Programs A referral program gives your customers an excuse to tell their friends about you, makes it really easy to share, and keeps your brand top-of-mind. Key to viral marketing efforts Existing customers help drive new sales Structured programs provide a number of benefits: They make it easy for customers to recommend your facility. They provide incentive that justifies your customer s time and effort to refer you to his friends and family. Referrals can also help you retain your key customers. Referred customers are 18 percent more likely to stay with you over time than a walk-in customer. Tracking is very important. Implement procedures for the program. Send thank-you cards for the referrals you receive.

13 Customer Engagement and Lead Tracking Marketing and promotions increase call volume and business traffic, but you must engage prospects to convert them to customers. Managers are the front line to convert prospects into customers. The ability to connect with the customer is essential and comes down to asking the right questions, developing rapport and providing helpful solutions. Guest forms/call logs Are you following up with initial inquiries? Walk-ins are usually easier to close. Callers require more follow-up. Lead tracking Do you know which marketing efforts are producing the best results? A/B testing is important.

14 Marketing in an Online World It s important now more than ever to reach people where they are and when they re looking. Social media: You don t have to be an expert to get started. Just get started! TWITTER: 302 million active users monthly FACEBOOK: 1.44 billion active users monthly INSTAGRAM: 300 million active users monthly PINTEREST: 70 million active users

15 SEO/SEM Search engine optimization: Marketing discipline focused on growing visibility in organic (non-paid) search engine results Search engine marketing: Marketing discipline focused on growing visibility in (paid) search engine results SEO: making sure your site is structured in a way that search engines understand Encompasses both technical and creative elements to improve rankings, drive traffic, increase awareness in search engines Many aspects, from the words on your page to the way other sites link to your site

16 Internet Marketing Google AdWords (SEM) Keywords connect your ads with users and their searches. SEM puts your ad in front of highly qualified customers. Consider using ad extensions. People are constantly connected, switching between devices. Research shows use of as many as three devices every day including desktops, laptops, phones, tablets, etc. Consider outsourcing these campaigns.

17 Digital Banner Campaigns, Remarketing

18 Contact the Presenter Shari Sutton Sutton Watkins Advertising & Marketing

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