Niche Marketing Strategies
Marketing a Hand Blown Glass Shop
Marketing a hand blown glass shop isn't as simple as it seems. To get noticed, you'll need to invest time, energy, and resources in an innovative marketing plan.
For a hand blown glass shop, a great business model doesn't guarantee solid revenues.
In some businesses, marketing takes a back seat to sales and operations. That's a mistake because without marketing, your brand messages aren't being heard. On the upside, great marketing is a real possibility for a hand blown glass shop owner who is willing to learn what it takes to promote their business.
Social Media Monitoring
Brand advocacy is a buzzword in marketing circles. What does it mean? Using consumer-oriented platforms to encourage customers to create user-generated content about your products and company, typically through social media. Social media can quickly go negative, turning brand advocacy into "badvocacy", a scenario in which consumers and users create content deriding your company and your products. These days, hand blown glass shops need to be particularly sensitive about the potential for negative brand commentary on social media sites. To counter negative social media, you'll need to monitor your brand's online presence and enter the conversation, redirecting negative discussions toward more positive topics.
Industry Resources
Business leadership can be a lonely profession, especially when you're leading a hand blown glass shop. An awareness of industry resources can mitigate the isolation of ownership and result in a more stable (and more productive) leadership experience. Trade associations, business networks, and other venues usually offer resources to help you improve your marketing skills. If possible, establish a mentoring relationship with an experienced industry veteran.
Measurement & Evaluation
Performance is the ultimate measure of quality. You can improve the quality of your B2B and B2C efforts by considering professional mailing lists provided by established vendors. That's just one of the ways hand blown glass shops may be able to increase the impact of their marketing tactics. However, there are no substitutes for measurement and evaluation mechanisms. Each marketing campaign should be subjected to quantitative analysis, paying close attention to the amount of new and repeat business it generates for your company. If a campaign or technique fails to meet your expectations, carefully evaluate the reasons for the failure and adjust your marketing mix accordingly. Simple quantitative tools are a good start. However, hand blown glass shops often choose to consult with professional marketers for assessment tools and strategic insights.
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