Smart Marketing Strategies for Niche Markets
Marketing an Oil Brokerage
It's becoming more and more difficult for oil brokerages to rise above the clamor of the marketplace. Innovative marketing strategies may be your best bet for out-promoting -- and outperforming -- the competition.
Although innovation is important, consistency is critical when you market an oil brokerage. In this industry, the application of fundamental marketing tactics is more valuable than promotional fads and gimmicks.
Still trying to figure out what differentiates oil brokerages from average companies? Surprisingly, the ability to create clear brand messages often outweighs product quality and other considerations.
Customer Awareness
Many of the highest performing oil brokerages struggle to keep pace with the customers in their market. Consequently, market analysis has become a business priority. Businesses that market blindly fail to achieve acceptable ROI for their efforts. By improving market awareness, small companies can often establish more meaningful customer connections than their competitors.
Managing Negative Publicity
Not sure how to handle negative PR? You're not alone. It's a probably faced by many oil brokerages. The worst way to handle negative buzz is to put off developing a response until reporters are pounding on your door, demanding a comment from a company spokesperson. At Gaebler, we advise our business partners to have an updated crisis response plan in place at all times. Since part of your crisis response may involve direct mail, we also recommend working with quality mailing list providers to obtain accurate contact lists.
Viral Marketing
There isn't a simple formula for launching a viral marketing campaign. By including viral elements in a campaign for an oil brokerage, you ultimately have to cross your fingers and hope for the best. But despite the risk, viral marketers can influence the likelihood of success. Product giveaways, community-building, online discussion channels, and other techniques may not guarantee that your products will go viral -- but they definitely improve the odds.
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