Solutions for Growth, LLC
A small-business marketing firm in Westchester County, NY.
Internal Marketing & More
Solutions for Growth, LLC began in 2009 as an email marketing agency. Over the years, their catalog of services evolved to include more creatively-driven projects like web builds, branding, ad design, and sales material design.
I was hired in 2018 to oversee project management for all projects that fell outside the scope of email marketing. Throughout my tenure, I also heavily contributed to the revamping of the Solutions for Growth brand and internal marketing strategies by creating a consistent look for the agency and building a number of sales tools that led to new clients.
Infographics
Using graphic representations of the business’s processes helped tremendously in guiding small business owners (most of the clientele) to understand how integrated marketing works.
Branding & Brand Standards
Many sales initiatives came across my desk during my time at SFG. I branded all internal marketing projects in accordance with their objectives.
Over time, it became clear that consistency was an issue when it came to SFG’s communications. With a name like “Solutions for Growth” it’s important to differentiate yourself from other similarly named firms and do it consistently. I prepared a brand standards document and began to keep a close eye on brand usage across all platforms.
Local Advantage - a bundled package of services targeting small local retailers
Monthly Newsletter on current events and trends in small business marketing.
Targeting Verticals
We were able to isolate small law firms as a dependable source of leads and developed internal marketing strategies and supporting materials to target law firms between 10-50 employees. I developed easy to digest and functional materials like this “Ultimate Law Firm Marketing Checklist” to help small firms self-diagnose their marketing shortcomings.
Copywriting
What is Integrated Marketing?
What is Integrated Marketing? Why is the business world talking about it so much? How can it help me?
Simply put, Integrated Marketing maximizes the effectiveness of your marketing tools. Your website, social media, email marketing, and more all have features designed to have them work together, which in turn maximizes their effectiveness. It is a system that provides consistent messaging, using tools that complement each other to guide qualified leads seamlessly through the buying process.
Imagine your ideal customer. Where can they be found? Some of the most effective tools for identifying and generating leads are Social Media, Search Engine Optimization, and Google Ads.
But once we get their attention, what do we do with it?
“You can bait the hook and toss it in the water but if you never reel it in, you’re just feeding fish.”
Our Local Advantage system provides businesses with a road map from lead generation to lead nurturing to lead conversion. Each tool involved serves as multi-purpose, grabbing attention, holding attention, and making sales.
1. Lead Generation
The first step in the sales process, also known as the funnel, is to make potential customers aware of your brand, what you offer, and how it will improve their life. The most important component of lead generation is targeting the right audience with a tailored message. Marketing professionals, like Solutions for Growth, can help your business key in on who you are speaking to and what they want to hear.
2. Lead Nurturing
Once the prospective customer knows about your brand, two things can happen. If you’re lucky, they’ll impulsively purchase your product or service. More often than not, however, they will wait to make a purchase decision. This waiting period requires your marketing tools to nurture the lead. By using a diverse mix of marketing mediums, we keep your brand top-of-mind while prospective customers mull their options.
3. Lead Conversion
When it comes time for the purchase decision, the brands that have been reinforcing their message and providing relevant materials and information will be the first ones considered. By using strategically placed calls-to-action across multiple mediums, we provide the customer a road map to an easy purchase. We can also use special offers, feelings of exclusivity, and personalized communications to coerce the conversion when the customer is at or near the end of their decision.
Know Thyself
You wouldn’t run into your childhood babysitter and start talking about the latest in video game technology, would you? She’s undoubtedly not the target demographic for that kind of a conversation. We see it every day. A company that’s too engulfed in perfecting their message that they’ve completely forgotten who they’re speaking to.
Marketing, at its core, is very simple. Every ad you read or commercial you watch, each time those shoes you’ve been thinking about splurging on crosses your news feed… It all boils down to the most basic form of human communication, a one on one conversation. The minute a marketing message loses that, it’s over. Think about your favorite ad campaign. It’s probably your favorite because the campaign touched upon your personal pain points, maybe it positioned you as a hero in your own imagination. No blind luck involved, that ad was aimed directly at you (and many others just like you.)
It’s easy to get wrapped up in the potential for huge reach or fast, sustainable growth. Companies built for long term success know how to strike a balance between messages that ignite new interest and excite their base.
How do you stay on track with your messaging? It’s easier than you think.
1. Stay true to yourself.
Cliché, we know. Clichés are identified as such because they largely hold true.
a. Why does my company exist?
b. Why should people patronize my business?
These answers are, on the surface, pretty obvious. However, today’s consumer doesn’t make purchase decisions based on simple logic anymore. Where they spend their money is driven more and more by intrinsic motivators. Let’s reframe those questions…
a. What problem does my company exist to solve?
b. How will patronizing my business make my customer’s life better?
Once you’ve pinned down the answer to those new questions, your business has a message. Stick to it.
2. Know your customer.
If at every networking meeting you were presented with a sheet of each person’s interests before you even said “Hello”, you’d probably be the life of the party. With the tools and data at your disposal in 2018, why are so few companies applying this information to their marketing strategy?
On social media, we can pinpoint the age, gender, location, and peak activity times for our audience. Through analytics tools, we can decipher what people are searching for when they find our business. Using old-school tactics like networking and focus groups, we can get even more precise.
3. Talk to someone, not everyone.
Now we’ve got information at our disposal. We know who we’re talking to! Our babysitter, from earlier serves as a good example.
We know we’re talking to a 60-year-old woman who lives in our town. We know the best time to get our message to her is at 10am on weekdays and we know what she’s looking for.
Now imagine you approach this person in a social setting, you know the following:
1. Her age, location, and peak times.
2. What she’s looking for.
3. What your company can do to solve her problem.
4. How her life will be better as a result.
I think anyone could close that sale.
Contact: David Fischer