Soft Marketing Strategies
If you're not sure whether "soft" marketing is for you, let us explain what it means. Soft marketing is the opposite of traditional or hard marketing because it relies on less aggressive tactics such as social media and word of mouth to reach its audience. This can be a great strategy if you're shy, don't want to offend people, or just don't know where to start with your business.
Soft marketing is a popular tactic in today's economy because most people are too busy to respond to pushy salespeople or would rather use social media than answer surveys. Networking and word of mouth are also invaluable ways to build your business, and soft marketing lets you reach more people without being pushy or invasive.
Here are a few advantages of using a soft marketing approach:
You don't need a large budget to reach a wide audience.
It's easier to find new customers in a soft market because they're not afraid of salespeople.
There's less competition from other businesses, since most companies only use hard marketing strategies.
You can interact with your target audience through social media sites and create longer-lasting relationships with them.
The main disadvantage of using soft marketing is that it takes longer to grow your business. Because of the interactive nature of soft marketing, you can't use it to make big announcements or reach a wide audience all at once. It's more effective if you spread a message over a long period of time.
Soft marketing is also usually more expensive than hard marketing because it involves networking and social media, which require people and time to work effectively. It also takes longer than hard marketing to see results, so you need patience as well as money.
Building trust between you and your customers is one of the keys to success with soft marketing. There are several ways to build trust and make your business stand out from your competitors'. One way is through social media. Create a Facebook or Twitter account for your business, and spend time interacting with other companies and customers there. If people like the things you say, they'll start to trust you.
You can also create a blog for your company and post on it regularly about topics related to your industry or niche. The more interesting you are on the blog, the more likely people will come back to read what you have to say again. Remember that blogs are personal so make sure that your voice comes through clearly. People won't want to visit your site if they don't like what they see when they arrive.
Another way to build trust is by being unique. The more unique your offer, the more likely people will pay attention when you tell them about it. For example, if you run a bakery, offer specialty cupcakes that no one else has thought of before. Take photos and post them on your Facebook page to show people what they've been missing.
Be cautious with how far you go with soft marketing because even though it's more subtle than hard marketing, there's still a fine line between being friendly and being pushy. The best way to figure out how far you can go with soft marketing is to test it yourself and see what works for your audience.
If you're uncomfortable with any of these soft marketing strategies, don't worry because there are hard marketing tactics that you can try. For example, you could put up flyers advertising your business or send out a mass email to everyone on your mailing list. Testing soft and hard marketing side by side can help you figure out what works and what doesn't, which will make your efforts more effective in the long run.
Soft marketing is a good strategy for starting a new business or reaching customers in your niche who might be difficult to reach otherwise. It also helps to break down stereotypes that people have about businesses and salespeople so that if you choose to switch to hard marketing later on, people won't be afraid of being sold.
As you can see, there are a number of advantages to using soft marketing. You can't reach as large an audience as you would with hard marketing, but that's the point with soft marketing. You want to interact with your customers one-on-one, which is a great way to build trust and strengthen your business. While it does take longer for soft marketing to work than hard marketing, it has its own benefits that make it worthwhile for some businesses.
Sources: http://www.inc.com/guides/201104/soft-marketing-tactics-that-are-getting-results.html
http://www.entrepreneurmagazine.com/article/249801
http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/marketing-strategy-soft-marketing-advantage/
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/softmarketing-strategies.html
Title: The Smart Way to Market Your Small Business: Start, Expand and Maximize Your Marketing Efforts in the Digital Age
Author: Mary Larter, PhD and Julia E. Spano
Publisher: Upstart Publishing
Publication Date: February 2012
ISBN 978-1-61289-539-6
Chapter 4: Starting Your Business with Social Networking
Social networking is important when starting a new business because it allows you to connect with people who are interested in the same things as you. It can also help you find customers and expand your reach in the digital world. If you have a store or service that people want, social networking can give them information about your business so that they can contact you more easily.
Starting and running a business is stressful, and it can be hard to know what to do when you don't know much about the industry. One of the best ways to find out more about what it takes to start a small business is by using social networking. There are a number of sites that help you connect with small business owners through local networking groups and discussion boards related to your part of the country in case you have questions about starting your own business.
Social networking sites give you an easy path to learning more about starting your own business in a friendly environment. They allow you to connect with people in the same field so that they can share tips, tricks and advice. You can also ask them for help finding people to hire, suppliers and other companies so that you can learn more about your industry.
Many sites also give you a unique opportunity to reach a wide audience without overreaching too soon. You can start by making a few posts on the business discussion boards, then gradually ramp up to writing more and more. When your posts become popular, use social media to promote them; this will help you gain more followers who will look out for you and post things about your business when requested.
As with any marketing strategy, there are some risks that come along with social networking. One of the biggest risks is loss of control over your business.
Conclusion
If your business is legitimate, you don't have anything to hide. Don't try to hide that you're a small business owner and be honest about what you need when someone asks. Social networks are a good place for people trading tips on starting a business because they can help keep you motivated and encouraged when times get tough.
When you set up your account on social networking sites, use a picture of yourself or the logo for your business. This tells people that they are dealing with an actual person and not just another web page. Even professional networking sites want to know that they're dealing with real people so they can grow their businesses as well.