Marketing skills you don't know you have

From the Resene Trade blog

As a painter, you might automatically assume you don't know much about marketing, and therefore couldn't manage doing a bit of promotion for yourself.

While a professional marketer can certainly add a depth of knowledge to any small business, there are still a number of skills you probably already have that can help boost your trade. The trick is to remind yourself that they are in fact marketing assets, and to ensure you use them as much as possible.

Here are a few skills you can use to market yourself and your business, even if you didn't know you already had them!

Photography

You don't need to be a professional photographer to take a few nice shots of your work for your social media pages. A Hubspot study found that Facebook updates with photos get as much as 53 per cent more likes than your average post, and a massive 104 per cent more comments, too. This additional engagement with your posts can be a good way to keep your brand front-of-mind for your potential future clients, even if the photos aren't quite 'professional' standard.

And if you are planning to post regularly on Instagram then you won't get far without photos! When it comes to Instagram photos really do say 1000 words.

Use your smartphone or a basic digital camera to snap a few before and after shots, and photos of other aspects of your work, to share with followers across Facebook and Instagram. These social media platforms are great marketing tools you can use, and those photos are a vital part of that!

Listening

A lot of people think of marketing and advertising as talking at your customers, but a huge part of marketing well is to simply listen. Anybody is capable of listening, and it's likely something you're already doing plenty of. Try adding a little time to the start of each project to spend just listening to your client to make sure you fully understand exactly what they're after.

Listening to your clients means a number of things. Firstly, it can help ensure the client gets what they want, as listening to their demands early on can avoid misunderstandings later.

A client who feels as though they were listened to throughout the process is one who may be more likely to use your services again in future, or recommend you to a friend. And you might just uncover some other painting services or future project work you can do for the client if you take the time to listen to the bigger picture of what they are trying to achieve.

Plus, listening to feedback can help you to fine tune your business for continued improvements.

Product knowledge

As a painter, your product knowledge is likely second-to-none, and this is a huge benefit for any marketing work.

When it comes to social media, you can share useful tips and tricks that only a professional painter would know. This will help show your clients that you know what you're doing. When you listen to your clients, you can use your product knowledge to reassure them that their chosen paint will create the look they're after, or you can help steer them in the right direction towards an option you know will do a better job.

Your extensive product knowledge may also help you upsell your services to create more work. For example, if you are hired for a job to paint a home's interior but hear the client talking about how their driveway is looking old and worn, your knowledge of Resene Blacktop could not only revitalise the client's entranceway, but also add an extra job while you're on site.

Co-branding

Homeowners and clients are more aware of paint brands and the importance of using a quality brand. Many will ask or base their acceptance of a quote on the paint brand that will be used.

When you're undertaking a painting contract you are supplying your skills as the painter, your skills as the project manager, your knowledge to choose the right products for the job, and the paint and paint brand you are applying. Use this as part of your marketing when you're providing quotes to customers and promoting yourself. If your customers can see that you are using a good quality paint, this will impact positively on their perception of your service.

April 2019