"Out of the box....Out of the box!" Do you remember that old theme song of the early 2000s Disney kid's show of the same name? I used to watch it all the time with my kids (who are now adults). I loved the theme of the show - not only was their entire playhouse made of boxes and other diy materials, but each episode was focused around playtime using ordinary everyday items. As adults, we can do the same - it's time to get creative with our marketing!

Just in case you feel lost, you're not - we're on to points 6 and 7 in our discussion on relationship marketing (see previous blogs for points 1-5 and original source).

6. Don’t arrogantly assume you know what buyers want

"Start by asking prospects what they want and need. Don't assume that you know. What worked yesterday might not work today. What they wanted yesterday might not be what they want today and tomorrow. Research should be an integral component of your operation in producing content." 

This is easier to accomplish than you might think. Keep up with what your competition is up to by visiting their storefront and/or website on a regular basis. Keep up with what your buyers want by casually asking questions when your buyer is checking out with their items: “I see you’ve chosen our Elite Feline cat food…is this the brand you usually get? Is there any brand or kind of food you wished we stocked here? Have you seen any new toys or training items online that you wish you could buy locally?” Ask just one or two of these of a handful of patrons each day so that you can continually update what you offer to stay current with demand.

7. Think creatively

"Come up with different and intriguing marketing events. Think about sponsoring a seminar on business building. Hire a speaker to talk about ways they can build their business and you be there in a pleasant, permission-granted, persuasive way."

Marketing methods can become stale and begin to feel and sound robotic. Change it up occasionally by trying something new that brings you closer to your target demographic on a more personal level. I had some success a few times with this by volunteering to teach students about what I do for a living at a school assembly, and years ago I taught brides how to have success in finding a good video professional. These tactics may bring just the new marketing energy you need! 

Relationship marketing shouldn't be random, but it also shouldn't be rigid. Find a balance by trying new things and being honest with yourself about what attempts are working, and which ones are not!

First off – why do you need a calendar? Can’t you just post things randomly? No. No you cannot. To be fair, you can, but the longer you don’t post something, the longer the average page visitor and algorithm bot think you might be dead. Posting daily content on most social media platforms is a must so that your page presents a living, thriving business. There are SOOOO many people using social media sites and apps right now, that we really need to start treating our social media accounts as a secondary “front desk”. It’s often where people will get their first impression of you and your service/product, so make your accounts look good!

There are some key things to keep in mind when making your calendar: 

Read more: What's a social media calendar?

Hey - I wish I could claim credit for this write-up, but most of this info is from an online business publication and Forbes. So...don't blame me for what you're about to read!!

Read more: The most CRITICAL Part of your Advertising