Before leaving last month’s topic of “earned” media (marketing communications your company pays to deliver in media that reach your prospects and customers), here are a few considerations that I promised to address in greater detail: First, let’s talk about form and style of promotional messages by specific media tactics beyond advertising, which I spoke about last month.
By Ed Pierce, It’s The Arts Marketing
As I did last month, I am borrowing concepts from some of our industry’s best salespeople, but establishing an effective relationship with a prospect or customer — especially in a B2B market — is adaptive. A great salesperson can shift easily from one type of sales approach to another based on the environment (exhibit floor, customer’s office, home office visit) and on-the-spot customer feedback.
Likewise, effective marketing communications must adapt to the situation. Last month, I noted that an effective ad provides a snapshot of product value in terms that are important to the fleet manager. But an ad can only promise value, it cannot provide enough substantiation to close a sale (again, in B2B markets). Direct marketing and trade shows also constrain the message.
Answer the Questions that Fleet Managers Want to Know
Enter public relations and, in this digital age, native advertising. They are the perfect opportunities for companies to explain the value proposition of their latest product or service in detail. These are the marketing tactics that build on the ad, exhibit hall display or the direct mail piece.
Why does this new telematics product bring greater value to the fleet manager? What are the applications for the product? What is significant about the technology? What other companies are using it? How much have they saved? What is the ROI and how does that compare to other alternatives?
Answer the questions that fleet managers want to know. Give them the ammunition they need to sell up their organizations. The objective of these types of communications – case studies, white papers, how-to articles, sponsor-funded articles or video, is to provide proof that is meaningful for each targeted market segment! In other words, a case study on a telecommunication company’s work truck fleet won’t mean much to the pharma company with a sales fleet. Focus your messages!
The Benefits of Education Rather than Promotion
In addition to product value, fleet managers finally decide on a purchase based on the company behind the product or service. Do they know your company by name? Do they know others who are satisfied with your services? Are you recognized in the industry for pertinent strengths? Have they read anything in the fleet press or trade association material to help them better understand a fleet problem, solution and alternative solutions? If so, the company name, or brand, can help close the sale.
Although marketing is seemingly all about promotion, it is about effective communications. In some situations, education – informative, objective articles – is the best approach to improving the company name.
Here are fleet specific opportunities to educate and make your company look like a thought leader: NAFA I&E curriculum or CAFM program guide involvement or chapter speaking opportunities, NTEA resource contributions, AFLA white papers or Tech Notes. The promotion may be limited to a byline or contributor acknowledgement, and there cannot be no overt product references, and there cannot be no overt product references. However, your next new customer may very well connect the lesson you offered when he or she makes the decision to buy.
In the next column, we will delve into the expanded opportunities available to fleet providers in the world of “owned” media. Just send an email to [email protected]. If you have a specific marketing issue or question, call me at 610–585-0801.
