Marketing: Back to the Basics

I’ve written a few times about marketing, specifically highlighting the balance between social media and the old-fashioned approaches to gaining visibility and meeting people.

The bottom line to me is that we must do both, and on a very regular basis.

In the past two days, I was taken by two stories from friends who have small, very successful businesses.

Marketing through simplicity:

Leilani Durbin is a superb massage therapist in Charlevoix, Michigan.  She rides her old bike to work, through town, past lots of people.  On the three sides of her basket, Leilani has signs with large letters that simply read “Charlevoix Massage” with the phone number printed underneath. While working, the bike is visibly out in front of her spa.

Leilani’s business thrives.  What is the source of her business?

• 1/3 from the Internet
• 1/3 from referrals
• 1/3 from people who see her bike and stop her or call the phone number!

Certainly referrals and Leilani’s visibility are tried and true old-fashioned marketing!

Marketing through conversation:

Melissa Bozeski is a highly capable and caring learning consultant in St. Louis, Missouri, with a specialty of testing children and teenagers.  Last summer, we had talked about her practice and that she was very busy, needed help, and her practice was not growing to the extent she’d like.

One year later, last night, we talked across a dinner table, and Melissa told me her practice is now booming.  I asked her what changed; what is she doing differently?

Melissa said she has contracted more people and trained them so they are very adept themselves in doing the work of the testing. With her freed up time, Melissa is now personally visiting medical doctors, explaining her expertise in educational testing.

The doctors whom she visits are now sending clients her way.

I love these stories, Leilani riding her bike through town and Melissa personally visiting doctors who could refer their patients to her.

This is back to the basics!  And isn’t it common sense?

I guess this confirms my belief that yes, we must do social media, and of course we must have web sites, but it sure can help to also go back to the basics. Indeed, several forms of marketing should be considered when we create our marketing strategy.

Ultimately, marketing should be about engaging with potential clients.  This is what Leilani does on her bike and Melissa does with doctors, and this is why they are growing their businesses successfully.