Here are just three of those marketing ideas that should always serve you well, and will never go out of style!

1. The Pareto Principle

Also known as the '80/20 rule', the Pareto Principle has been around for more than 100 years, and is just as true today as it was back then.

Certain marketing truths to help your company grow will never go out of style

The idea is that 80 per cent of your work is going to come from just 20 per cent of your clients (and vice versa). For example, you make be hired for a school block painting job, and then continue to return to that school for occasional work in the future. That school may only represent a small portion of your clientele, but they also contribute to the majority of your work. On the other hand, the majority of your clientele may be homeowners who hire you to paint one of two rooms. While there may be a lot of clients that fit this bill, they may only represent a smaller portion of your workload.

To make this work in a marketing sense, also remember this rule: If 20 per cent of your clients are paying 80 per cent of your wages, they should receive 80 per cent of your customer service. Basically, this is one way of prioritising your work and marketing efforts by focusing them on those who are most responsible for your income.

2. Word of mouth

Whether it's in person, over the phone, or via social media, person A telling person B about a certain brand or product will always be a concrete form of marketing.

Friends telling other friends about their fantastic painter will always be a powerful form of marketing

One Nielsen study included 58 countries and found that word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and family were the most influential, with 84 per cent of survey respondents saying that this source was the most trustworthy of all.

What's important to note with word of mouth marketing is that creating a love of your company, products and customer service is paramount. It's easy to fall into the trap of trying to collect social media followers, but big numbers on your Facebook page won't mean much if they're only 'liking' your page for a free prize. Instead, focus on building that trust and enthusiasm for your brand with the customers you do have, as their recommendations to friends and family can be worth their weight in full paint tins!

3. Delivered promises

Any company in the world can benefit from this one – always deliver on the promises you make.

Tradespeople often have a less-than-desirable reputation of taking longer than expected, not showing up on time and even costing more than initially planned. You can optimise your marketing by always being the one to break this stereotype and always following through with promises made. As soon as your clients start to realise that always delivering on promises is one of your main drawcards, they may be more likely to keep you in mind for future and refer your name onto friends and family.

It goes without saying, if you can't deliver, you shouldn't be making promises! Stick to the old adage of under promising and over delivering to give yourself a buffer just in case things don't go to plan.

February 14, 2017

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