7 Savvy MarketingTips for This Holiday Season

Boomers in Business:
So the predictions are that this is likely to be another slow holiday spending season, what can you do about it? Here are seven savvy tips to help you zero in on the business that's out there this fall:

1. First, be sure to define your target customer precisely.
Begin by knowing what problem your business solves or what pain it puts someone out of. Unless you have a very clear vision of who needs your product or service, you'll spin your wheels -- spending too much time or money to make money. Great example: Warm-Mouse by ValueRays.

2. Don't try to be all things to all customers.
It is more effective to carefully delineate your benefit to the customer you have defined in step 1. What specific problem do you solve? What precise need do you fill? In one sentence: What service do you provide? (See Warm-Mouse above.)

3. Learn more about what your customers want.
Many lacklustre entrepreneurs assume their customers want exactly what they want. Survey your customer list, your blog readers, your Web site visitors. Or use a service like surveymonkey.com. Let your customers tell you what they want: "Great product but your shipping cost's too high," etc. Then do your best to ease their pain.

4. Pitch to more affluent customers this season.
They are more optimistic about economic conditions and are spending more and doing it earlier than other demographics.

5. Wrangle some product or service reviews.
Give out some samples and let the power of the product review work for you. Depending on your offering, this will work better locally or nationally. Remember your customer demographic when going after reviews. (Don't forget to post any resulting quotes or testimonials on your Web site!)

6. Really work that list.
Do you send one "thank-you" e-mail or make one call and that's that? Repetition works -- be there when your customer is ready for another solution. If possible, include social networking in your customer outreach. Incessant e-mails may not be ideal, so try to be where your customers are. Know who does this really well? JJill. (To keep this effective marketing going, you'll need to develop a process and a routine.)

7. Charge what you're worth.
You may be tempted to repeatedly offer deep discounts, but experts say that's not an efficient way to make your business successful. Consumer psychology is complicated but, generally, people understand that they get what they pay for. And they will pay for what they believe is worth it.

Be well and prosper!