Top 6 marketing communications tips continued

4. Not framing communications with Lifetime client value in mind
The concept of lifetime client value comes from the world of relationship marketing and is often a difficult one for owners of small-small business to accept and operate by. It depends on the the ability to retain customers through strategic relationship marketing, and as such, comes with a price tag (on the front end) which many small businesses feel they can’t afford to pay.

If you are struggling with making marketing decisions based on customer lifetime value, then this step is not for you. However, note that you are also passing up the ability to gain clients through the cheapest and most effective ways of gaining new clients there is… referrals from current clients.

Referred clients are far more likely to refer others, more likely to spend more, stay with you longer and cost less to manage than others. If you want to pass that up, that’s up to you!

For you who knows the value of knowing the lifetime value of your customers, it is imperative that you begin to set expectations of a long relationship right from the beginning and repeatedly throughout your communications.

Dan Kennedy is one of the best I’ve ever seen at continually communicating the expectation of a long-term or lifetime relationship. Every subscriber to his newsletter is repeatedly given positive examples of other clients who have gone on to buy more, do more and make more money because they have moving up the relationship ladder with Dan Kennedy.

You must define the relationship ladder which you hope to escort your clients up, and then begin to infiltrate your communications with positive examples that convey those expectations.

5. Not communicating through multiple channels and media
Once upon a time, small businesses had an excuse for ignoring the various channels that existed to reach potential clients and current customers…those days are over. The same leaps in media and communications technologies that have greatly increased consumer choice have also increased marketing noise.

You no longer have the choice to ignore the many low cost or free ways you should be communicating with your marketplace. An accurate assessment of your average client value will also give you a framework to determine appropriate marketing, sales and advertising spend so that as much as possible, you “do it all” when it comes to marketing.

This is the way to wipe the floor with your competition.

6. Not restating your uniqueness at every communication with clients.
It’s a common mistake for small business decision makers to give up on an effective marketing message/campaign long before the marketplace grows tired of it.

“Never let your customers forget about what makes your business special and how many ways they benefit from continuing to be customers of yours”.

People do not care about you. They do not think about you… and if you give them a chance, they’ll forget how happy they have been with you and for how long. My advice to you is to make sure that you don’t give them that chance to forget.

Avoiding these common marketing communications strategy mistakes by adopting a few simple practices can save you a lot of advertising grief while helping you build an absolutely memorable and profitable small business.

Here are some basic steps to avoiding these mistakes:

1. Develop a USP and review your USP at least once every 2 years (6 months to a year if you’re in a rapidly evolving niche).
2. Commit to analyzing your average customer value and expected customer lifetime value.
3. Commit to creating a high-contact relationship marketing system with clients, prospects and referral centers.
4. Commit to creative restatement of these 3 elements in your marketing communications:

• Your USP
• Expectations of lifetime engagement through positive examples
• Repeated reminders of what you have done for them and why being a client is special