A Strategy of a Different Color.

Can It Work For You?

It’s not a state secret that following a strategy based on a target audience, the correct message, and the best channels to reach those targets, is the prime way to market a business. For the majority of businesses, these marketing actions are sporadic. Marketing is planned around a specific event (a launch, a newsworthy occurrence, a special sale or service offering) or called into action when updating is needed. These flurries of action can attract great attention and even make a big impact that results in a short spurt of success. However, initiating marketing only when the battle horn sounds simply isn’t the most efficient, or effective, way to reach a targeted audience. What strategy should be used instead? The best way to keep in front of potential and current customers is with monthly marketing communications.

Payroll Power to the People! Educate, Communicate and Get Noticed.

Payroll processing and administration is an essential ingredient of every business’ success. It is something that must be done accurately and efficiently every month, each quarter and annually, or else a business can irritate employees and get in trouble with the IRS. Oftentimes, however, a business does not recognize the need for outside payroll administration services until it has attempted and failed at the task on its own. When approached with the selection of a provider in the marketplace, how does a business weed through all the national and local offerings to find a quality service that addresses their needs? This is the dilemma that APS, one of the largest independently owned and operated full-service payroll management firms, addresses every month with its monthly marketing communications strategy based on education and information.

Recognizing that the choice of potential payroll providers can be confusing and overwhelming for an uninformed businessperson searching for payroll assistance, APS seeks to stand out by providing relevant payroll-focused information to help its customers. Each month, APS creates a package of materials that educates current and potential clients on an aspect of payroll services or an issue facing the industry.  APS distributes an eNewsletter filled with the latest in industry news and links to a downloadable tool or tip that offers education on a specific payroll-related topic. They also edit their Web site home page so that each month, the newsletter theme is covered. The downloadable tool or tip is also available on their Web site for any visitors who do not receive the newsletter and who are looking for payroll-related information.

By sharing helpful and relevant payroll-related news and information, APS stands out for their strategy in EDUCATING current and potential customers. By providing helpful and educational payroll-related information, APS earns the trust of their target audience, and keeps their customers happy as well. Repeating this strategy on a monthly basis consistently reinforces this message so that APS remains top of mind with current customers and potential clients.

Constant Contact Is the Key that Opens the Door to Sales.

Cheryl and Lewis Mann were looking for a way to reach referral sources. As the owners of Atlanta Home Care Partners, a successful in-home care agency in Atlanta, Georgia, they knew the success of their operation was based on capturing and keeping the attention of precious referral sources. With all the challenges they faced in their marketing, such as ever-increasing competition and the difficulty of branding their in-home care business in the public eye, they struggled with a way to reach their target demographic. Our answer to their query? “Monthly marketing communications is the best way to drive that business to your door.” It did indeed prove to be the solution for them.

Each month, Atlanta Home Care Partners uses a turn-key system of monthly marketing communications to hone in on their target audience: referral sources who serve as gatekeepers to potential clients.  Their monthly marketing communication strategy reaches out to its referral sources with helpful resources that position the agency as an expert in care.  AHCP highlights their expertise on specific in-home care issues by sending branded and highly professional postcards to their referral sources each month. The postcards direct referral sources to their agency Web site which is chock full of helpful resources - educational tip sheets and carefully researched Web links relating to home care and caregiving. In addition, every month Atlanta Home Care Partners distributes an eNewsletter that informs and educates on important industry news and updates. These combined efforts give the agency the differentiation that it needs to stand out from the competition.

The Common Link between Payroll and Home Care: Both Are At-Need Services!

While the two industries might seem entirely different, payroll administration and in-home care services have one major thing in common: potential clients often do not realize they have a need for the services until a situation dictates it. Many don’t consider care for an aging parent until a health emergency arises—for example, a stroke or fall occurs that affects a parent’s ability to function independently. Businesses often don’t bring in outside payroll help until mistakes have led to costly fines. These services are necessary—they are not luxury or commodity services. They are vital necessities that fulfill a specific function at a client’s time of need.

When a service or product is not considered until a situation arises, this is referred to as an “at-need service.”  The marketing challenge associated with at-need services is very clear—how can you sell your services to people before they even care about what you offer or realize that they need it? The answer is education-based monthly marketing communications, the very same strategy that has brought success to Atlanta Home Care Partners and APS.

Slim to None Are Not Good Odds. Change Your Luck.

First, one must understand the basic strategy. Rather than spurts of marketing, communicate with your potential client base on a consistent monthly basis. As far as content, the materials you use to communicate monthly should be tools that are based on education, as opposed to just sales data or marketing messages. In doing this you continually build trust in your services as well as reinforce the message over and over again. This also gives you the ability to educate the public about your business. Since the targets don’t care about an at-need service until they need it, blatantly selling your services is not effective. Your chance of hitting the right person with the right message at the right time is slim to none. At-need services are often sought out when the seeker is in a heightened emotional state. In this mindset, the seeker is usually not in the mood to consider or study options and will resort to the service that comes recommended by a trusted advisor or appeals from a standpoint of solving his or her problem.

Even if your business does not sell an at-need service, monthly marketing communications can reap rewards.  To recap the benefits, monthly communications keep a business top of mind, educate to position a business as expert in the field while gaining trust of its target audience, and differentiate it from the competition.   

corecubed specializes in assisting businesses that provide at-need services. Whether home care, payroll, IT, or dog waste management collection, we understand how to grow businesses. Let us work on a strategy to drive business to your business.

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800-370-6580 ext. #1
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