Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

You need a marketing plan. The fact that your growth isn't "as quick as I want" suggests that you'll always want more, and that you haven't considered the true cost of rapid growth.

If you think the Groupon offer was a success, why not repeat it? Or maybe it was just a short-term success but had a negative effect on your brand image. That wouldn't mean it wasn't really that successful. It depends on what the criteria are to make something a "success."

Instead of flitting from promotion to promotion, step back and get some professional help developing a strategic plan for your business. When you know what you want to do (i.e., how fast you want to grow, what "success" looks like for you), and how much that's likely to cost you, THEN you can create a marketing plan that will guide you to the goal.

Are you worth the extra 15%?.....to the client? If you make the case, you won't need to constantly be offering discounts.

In cases like this I always think of Younker's Dept store. Talk to any local and they know when the sale is coming and they wait for it. Their service is worth the extra money but they stick with the sales.

Now, if your new people are happy then you can go with a referral discount. This insures against discounting business you might already have gotten.

Michael

Thanks for your responses.

Mgoodman: Thank you for your comments. I definitely need to re-work the marketing plan. Groupon was a success in way of building a client list and getting some repeat business. I am not entirely certain whether groupon had a negative effect on our brand image. And thats what Im struggling with...if I were to do another groupon type offer what would be the long term results?!

Michael: Of course our service is worth the additional 15%! In Canada most of our customers have extended health coverage in which they don''t pay a cent (or minimal amount) for the service up to a certain amount. So most customers aren''t overly concerned with paying an additional 15% for outstanding service.


***Because were such a new business we need to get our name out there with out compromising our image. Any ideas beyond social media, presentations, website, enewsletter, etc.

And within that marketing plan should be what you are going to do in the way of customer service that will secure your current base of customers (query/talk to them--find out what is working, what could (or might have) work(ed) better, etc.) who can help your word of mouth marketing in droves. Who are your referrers (doctors, sport team coaches, etc)? Consider developing a quick, postcard or other short questionnaire and when satisfied (or "happy") customers respond, let the referrer know periodic feedback, maybe every quarter or so send a note saying that you''d helped ## customers who''d rated your service good (or better) to let them know to keep on sending ''em!

Best of luck

Thanks Marketbase:
We prompt customers to fill out anonymous survey via the net following treatments. We have received excellent reviews. I do like your suggestion with regard referral feedback. But I''m almost certain we will have some therapist/patient confidentiality problems.

I do want to provide a great service to my current customer client base. Is giving them some sort of freebie promo item just a waste of time and money? Or will this in turn keep them happy and referring to other people?!

Thanks Marketbase:
We prompt customers to fill out anonymous survey via the net following treatments. We have received excellent reviews. I do like your suggestion with regard referral feedback. But I'm almost certain we will have some therapist/patient confidentiality problems.

I do want to provide a great service to my current customer client base. Is giving them some sort of freebie promo item just a waste of time and money? Or will this in turn keep them happy and referring to other people?!

Don't forget old fashioned media relations. Tips on your training, whatever it is, would make for great content for local TV or in newsletters.

Also, get your members/participants involved. Invite them to post videos of what they learned at your facility. Make it easy for them... offer to shoot them at your facility if that's what they want to do. Don't push them. Let them see a sign of this availability at the venue. People love to see themselves in photo and video. Just remember to provide them with a disclaimer that you can use their images in your business promotion pages.

thank you