A no-budget tactic with big returns

30 minutes each week with big returns

This week, I want to share a marketing tactic that could produce significant results for you with just a little work. Whenever I do it, it generates lots of content and new ideas for marketing my product.

It can become very easy to fill your day with marketing tasks that feel important yet don’t always move the needle. But the activity I’m writing about this week is high-impact and worth blocking off 30 minutes for. It also involves reaching out to some of your best marketing helpers: your customers.

But first, I want to say thanks.

I know you probably have a lot going on, and I appreciate you taking time out of your schedule to read what I send each week.

I’d love your feedback, too. If there’s anything you like or don’t like about No Budget Marketing, reply and let me know. I want to make this newsletter as useful for you as possible.

-Mike

This will produce significant results with little effort

Schedule a call with a loyal customer.

I know, I know. You're busy and don't have time. But trust me on this.

Set aside a 30-minute block of time for this each week or every other week if you don't have enough time.

Find a happy customer who emailed you or who you recently met. If you have a customer support team, they probably know many people you can talk to. Reach out and see if they’re willing to be interviewed for a success story for your website or a testimonial. You can just also ask them to chat as a one-to-one focus group.

Start by asking about them. For example, you might begin by finding out where they live and what they do for a living. Show genuine curiosity and figure out a shared interest or connection.

Next, dive into this:

• Ask the customer how they discovered your product.

  • Was it through a referral, search, or other marketing channels?

  • What caught their attention initially?

• Ask how they use your product.

  • Which features are most valuable to them?

  • How does your product fit into their daily workflow?

• Explore why they chose your solution over competitors.

  • What problem were they trying to solve?

  • What set your product apart for them?

• Learn about their business and other challenges they face.

  • What other pain points do they have that your product might address?

  • Are there opportunities to expand your offerings to meet more of their needs?

Let them talk, and then ask follow-up questions as needed.

What you’ll gain from customer conversations

You never know where these customer conversations could go. You'll likely learn something that can help you attract more people like them or what you can do to keep them.

Look for patterns as you speak with more people. You might find out you are focusing on the wrong goals and that you could engage in different activities that will significantly impact your bottom line.

Talking to customers helps me find new ways to construct our marketing messaging so we’re talking to the right people about the right things. It's helped me gather testimonials and discover how people find our products.

The best part? It doesn’t cost you a dime. This is a no-budget marketing tactic that can provide significant value. By simply conversing with your customers, you gain insights that can guide your strategy, improve your messaging, and even create powerful testimonials to attract more business without spending a penny.

It can also make you feel really good. Taking the time to do this is essential when running in multiple directions. You might be reminded of why you do your job and who your product is made for.

Don’t miss this - it will save you lots of time

One last thing: see if the customers will let you record the call using a tool like Google Meet or Fathom. These tools allow you to pull a transcript after the call.

That transcript can get plugged right into ChatGPT, and you can ask it to write a success story blog post about the customer using your product or have it create social media posts and more.

Check out this free article below for more on using ChatGPT. AI can be a huge help for busy marketing professionals.