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Marketing a Bar Code Scanning Equipment and Supplies Business
A profitable bar code scanning equipment and supplies business is about more than supply and demand. It's about designing ways to entice new customers to engage with your products and to encourage existing customers to increase the frequency of their purchases.
Marketing a bar code scanning equipment and supplies business is an unforgiving exercise, full of hurdles and hidden challenges.
But regardless of your business model, marketing success can still be found by keeping one eye on sound marketing principles and the other on the needs of customers in the marketplace.
Remember the Importance of Signage
A great sign is a 24/7 marketing tool for your company. Despite the fact that bar code scanning equipment and supplies businesses are very different from each other, every company in this space should thoughtfully consider what your signage says to potential customers. Is your sign visible and attractive? Does it reinforce your brand and value proposition? Does your signage invite customers to take the next step or does it simply annoy them? These are the kinds of questions you'll need to ask about both exterior and interior sign elements.
Given the fact that signage in bar code scanning equipment and supplies businesses has unique characteristics, avoid glossing it over as an afterthought. %The role of a business sign should not be underestimated. It can have a subtle impact on customer perceptions, but sometimes that little difference can be exactly what's needed to turn a prospect into a customer.
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. All bar code scanning equipment and supplies businesses are especially vulnerable to negative exposure through social media. 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.
Building A Community Around Your Brand
Does your business have a social media presence? If not, you may be falling behind the rest of the marketplace. Whether they realize it or not bar code scanning equipment and supplies businesses need to do a better job connecting with their customers. There are many ways to launch a social media strategy. In our experience, it's helpful to begin with a direct mail campaign. Using vendor-provided mailing lists, you can broaden your reach by informing new contacts as well as established customers about your presence on popular sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
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