5 Marketing Strategies to Create a Killer Service Sector Brand

Marketing a service can be complex but it is good to remember it still takes the tools and strategies many top branded products employ. The service sector really has the upper hand with customer loyalty because they are providing the service while it is being consumed, meaning they are face-to-face with the customer. With a service, gauging customer satisfaction can be more easily done because you have the ability to make sure the customer walks away satisfied.

However, along with customer satisfaction are the basics of marketing that if done correctly can define your position, escalate your brand awareness, and create preference amongst the customer segments you serve. There are lessons to be learned from some of the most well loved brands – use them!

Define your Brand

Great marketing starts with great research and a clear understanding of your customer. Uncover the meaning of your services in the mind of the customer and define your brand position. What do your services do for the customer? A brand is the sum of experiences. What do your customers experience?

Apple is consistent with the user experience whether it be product offerings, in-store, or on-line. Apple customers want innovation and Apple continues to be at the forefront of innovation and in demand by legions of fanatical customers.

Create and Maintain Your Value Proposition

What are you offering that your customers can’t get anywhere else? No matter what industry you’re in, your customer has choices. Competition is everywhere and in order to win in the market place you have to do something differently? What do you have that no one else has?

In the service sector your value is in the people who provide the service. Perhaps it’s a unique skill set, superior education, superior process, or differentiated pricing structure. Create a value proposition as to why customers should choose you. Don’t be the same as … be different than.

Through their secret formula, Coca-Cola offers refreshment. Customers ask for the refreshment by name because they know they can rely on the taste of Coca-Cola.

Be Where Your Customers Are

Know your customer. What are their media habits? What are their touch points? How do you get their attention in a crowded marketplace? If you are going to be at the top of mind in their consideration set you have to know exactly how to reach them. At 9:00 in the evening, are they watching Game of Thrones or are they scrolling through Facebook on their mobile phone?

Nike wants the sports enthusiast, so they show up to the sporting events. They are the sports apparel for many a top athlete. They know where to find their customers.

Showcase Your Expertise

Whatever it is that makes you different – flaunt it. The success of a service organization is based on how well the service is provided. If you are a law firm and you have a winning trial record, let people know. Create the information that showcases why you are the best at what you do. Find the thing you do better than anyone else and showcase it to your customers.

Louis Vuitton is expert at luxury. If you want one of the world’s best made handbags Louis Vuitton has been making them for over 100 years – their craftsmanship is legendary.

Set The Experience

What is the ideal experience for your customers? Walk in their shoes as they encounter your service. Understand the experience continuum. Know what you do well and what is lacking. Figure out what is most crucial and important to your customers. Make the experience exceptional and continually strive to improve it.

Microsoft, Google, Apple, BMW, they all have continuous improvement and new models. If you aren’t making the experience better someone else will.

Whatever your service – build your brand, guard it – make it stand for something extraordinary.

Is the rush to social media killing your brand?

I’ve seen far too many poorly created social media posts and I’ve heard far too many companies scared about social media. Yes, social media is an important platform. Yes, social media can be helpful to your business. However, it is important to lay the groundwork and consider your audiences before you start posting.

I sat in a meeting just this week with a company wanting desperately to start a social media campaign. They were correct in the belief that they needed social media since their target market is almost exclusively a millennial generation. Their incorrect thinking was that they were ready for a social media campaign.

When we started talking about their product and their brand is was apparent that they were miles away from being ready to post anything on any social media platform. This company didn’t have a clear position in the market. They did not have a defined brand and thus no brand story. And, it seemed that the processes for delivery of their product were in need of some fine-tuning.

There is no better way to kill a product than to drive customers to the product before it is ready. While social media can be an incredible platform to get your message across to your audience it is also an incredible platform for your customers to tell the world your product is bad.

So before you start posting, consider these basics:

Define Your Brand

Make sure you have a great brand that fully represents your product and distinguishes you in the market. This may require some work to understand how your brand is currently viewed vs. how you want your brand to be viewed. If there are gaps – you need to work to fill them. Because there are a lot of components to your brand you may need to conduct a through assessment and then begin the hard work of making some changes to your product, systems, and people.

Know Your Customer

Understanding your customer is key to effective social media. Your goal is not just to post a lot, you want to post with engagement. It is very difficult to engage with an audience you don’t understand. So, to be engaging it is critical to know your target demographic and know what moves them. Find their points of interaction and how they engage with other brands. Reach them with the social media that matters to them and define your brand in ways that engage them to comment, tweet, post, and share. Through social media your target audience can carry your brand story.

Have a Plan

Remember, it’s not about how often you post but rather what you post. Just like any other media platform social media is crowded. To cut through the noise and clutter you must create meaningful content on a consistent basis. Create a plan that conveys your brand and creates pathways for your customers to engage. Part of your plan should include crafting the right messages for the specific social media site, understanding the habits of your target market so you know when to post and how often to post. Spend time developing careful messaging that reflects, personifies, and promotes your brand.

Social media shouldn’t scare you but it should move you get busy strategizing for your brand. It’s time to get social!