Valerie Watters

Homework begins with knowing your own products and your store. Do you have a strong vision and confidence about the products you sell? Before you begin any campaign or marketing program, make sure you know who you are, what you have to offer and what type of customer will buy your products. Know it so well that your image, brand and message can be clearly stated and seen in every piece of marketing material you develop, including ads, brochures, Web sites, signage, and even invoices and sales tags.

Not sure where to go from there? Get to know your customers. Ask what they read or listen to. Listen to your customer for clues and information about the activities they participate in, the lifestyle they lead and the media they rely on for their news and information.

Know your media — The amount of media that exists to reach your customers and potential customers can be overwhelming. Don't be lured in by a pretty publication or online product. Make sure their demographic reaches the same demographic of your potential customers and current customers. Ask yourself if the publication or media is audited, does it have relevant editorial, and how and where is the publication distributed. Then decide if it makes sense for you.

Utilize professionals when necessary — You may be, and probably are great at selling furniture and accessories, but may not be so great at designing effective, eye-catching marketing materials. Find professionals who will work within your budget to develop your materials. Rely on professionals to help you develop your materials so that they are top-notch, eye-catching and achieve your desired results.

Don't give up on your campaign before it has a chance to work — Too often, retailers expect immediate results. Most campaigns must be given time to develop momentum and a one-time ad almost never works. Messages and brand must be repeated frequently to make an impression on your customer. After you have selected your media, commit to frequency to allow the campaign to work.

Be consistent with your message — Your materials should offer a consistent look and feel. Do not change your overall message often, but rather build upon the message and evolve it for each campaign.

Want to know if your campaign is working? Listen for customer feedback — Your customers will tell you where they heard about you or saw your ad, if you take the time to ask. This should be part of the greeting, or definitely a question asked during qualifying. This way whether they buy or not, you know what brought them into your store.

Educate your staff and be ready to respond — Make sure your staff knows when and where the ads are running. Make sure they know the products featured. Customers can be fickle and want information quickly. Your team should have the specifics on featured products such as size dimensions, prices, lead times, etc., so they can be prepared respond to advertising inquiries and close the sale.

In tough times, get more creative. Utilize no cost opportunities such as networking groups, community groups, etc. Align with non-profit groups to build loyalty within your community. You may "shrink" your budget, but stay out there in front of the public — when you stop advertising, your door stops opening.

Use proven methods, yet always be open to new and evolving media and opportunities — Much like everything else, media is evolving and changing. What may have been a sure bet in the past may lose its effectiveness as people evolve the way they receive communication. Consider social media which didn't exist as a viable marketing tool until recently. You do not jump into new media, but rather be aware of its evolution, so when it is right for you, you can take advantage of it.