| | “If all you did was focus in on your business image, it would change your bottom line,” says Lori Colborne of LSL Marketing Consultants.
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Colborne’s cream of the crop
Lori Colborne knows what pieces of the marketing puzzle build buzz. She has mentored many agri-preneurs through one-on-one marketing sessions. She has two top recommendations for all agri-businesses in Alberta:
Clarify the message
Have you ever struggled to simply say what your business does? That’s exactly the situation Lori finds many of her clients in.
She has them tell her, in their own words, what it is that their business does, what makes it so special and what their customers tell them.
Then she puts herself in the role of the customer and attempts to feedback a clear, no-nonsense message.
Lori emphasizes that consumers quickly lose interest if your message isn’t concise, in plain language and hitting their priority needs.
Solidify the image
Contrast Walmart and Holt Renfrew. One major difference is price. Another is image. Indeed these two things are tied to together.
Ag entrepreneurs tend to undervalue their products and services and cut corners on their image.
“Photocopied brochures, homemade business cards and the cheapest paper are simply not acceptable for a legitimate business,” says Lori.
A cheap image will negatively effect how you can price what you are selling. The quality of the product may not matter if the image is poor.
Lori Colborne’s low cost buzz builders:
- If you drive a decent vehicle use window decals on it to promote your business.
- Have your name, tagline, website and phone number on a sticker that goes out on everything you sell. Keep it consistent with your image.
- Try before you buy. Offer samples. It works for Costco. Use demonstrations or an open house to promote services.
- Offer a guarantee.
- Cross promote. Work with others to leverage your marketing budget, eg. tradeshow displays.
Radio know-how
At the recent Growing Rural Tourism Conference, Jackie Rae of CFCW radio fame, shared her top tips for using radio:
- Use radio to excite listeners and save the details for print.
- Offer “contra” to leverage your marketing budget (eg. offer to have the CFCW banner up a your event).
- Give a little, get a lot. You’ll get more free PR by budgeting even a small amount for advertising.
Do you want to target 30 to 40-year-old recreational skydivers, with an annual income of $75,000, who are also members of a private golf club?
If you’ve got something to say it makes sense to say it to the people who care. Canada Post can help you establish a mailing list of prospects who are most likely to buy from you. Check www.mailposte.ca or call (800) 260-7678.
7 web worthy tips
A website is an absolute "must have" for any business.
- The cost of developing a website can be up to $1000 but you can get one done for as little as $200 if you approach a technical school to develop it as a student project.
- Your website is virtual brochure. Your business card is a mini version.
- Attach your e-mail to your website instead of your server. If you change servers you’ll keep all your contacts.
- Use testimonials from “minor celebrities” with a circle of influence eg. a doctor, professor, yoga teacher.
- Incorporate lots of good quality, appealing photographs.
- Profile your products on the web but carefully consider before committing to sell them over the Internet. The cost may outweigh the benefit.
- Stick to your image. Does the look and feel of your website reflect your image?
LSL Marketing Consultants can be found at www.lslmarketing.com or (780) 413-9986. Look for Lori’s book titled, Innovative Marketing Made Easy.
Sharon Stollery |
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