Field marketing is a unique form of marketing that allows businesses to connect with customers in person. It can be a great way to create connections and build relationships with potential and current customers. Field marketing involves going out into the field and meeting customers face-to-face. This can be done at events, trade shows, or other places where people gather.
This blog post will discuss what field marketing is and how it can benefit your business.
Key Takeaways
- Field marketing is a direct marketing approach that involves face-to-face interactions with potential customers, often at public gatherings or events, to promote products or services and generate leads.
- This marketing strategy is highly personalized and localized, targeting prospective customers within specific communities, making use of various tools such as personal contacts, pamphlets, and social media promotions to engage them effectively.
- Field marketing campaigns can include a range of activities like product sampling, in-store promotions, street promotions, and guerrilla marketing tactics, aiming to create memorable experiences and build stronger relationships with customers.
What is Field Marketing?
Field marketing is a type of direct marketing that involves selling one’s service. This is done primarily by interacting with potential customers face to face.
Field marketers can use the personal contact they have as an advantage. This helps encourage customers to take action on their offer.
The goal of field marketing is not only to sell products and services. It is also to generate revenue through leads generated from prospects. In this article, we will cover everything you need to know.
So whenever you’re ready to explore this topic, keep reading and get your notes handy.
Field Marketing Strategy Basics
For marketing to be “field marketing”, it must occur outside of the four walls of one’s office. Field marketing can be subject to classification as either corporate marketing or consumer field marketing. This depends on who it is targeting and what type of product/service they are selling.
Field marketers use a variety of tools to create connections with potential customers. Some of the ones used in their local communities are:
- Personal contact at tradeshows or other events where people gather for similar interests (i.e., outdoor sports)
- Pamphlets distributed door-to-door that offer coupons for services such as car washes
- Coupons mailed out to residents in specific areas which give them discounts when they visit certain stores
- Pamphlets or postcards sent out to selected households that feature coupons for local stores and restaurants
Field marketing is subject to use as an effective way to reach potential customers in your area. Primarily, this is a great way to reach that may not be aware of your services. However, it’s important to note what type of field marketing is best suited for your business prior to spending any money.
Which Customers Are Targeted Best By Field Marketing?
When it comes to field marketing, the best customer to target is one who is not currently a client of your business.
Typically, these prospective customers are within the same community as your storefront. They may even live nearby.
They probably know very little about what you do. But, they are likely to be receptive to getting information from a trusted source. For instance, a friend or neighbor.
Field marketing strategy can involve sending flyers door-to-door that list deals on certain products. Or, you can visit local neighborhoods with pamphlets promoting specific services at a discounted rate.
How about advertising special offers through social media channels such as Facebook groups? What about participating in religious events by passing out fliers mentioning offer discounts?
Field marketing is any form of advertising that relies on personal interaction with customers, usually by someone who lives in the same area as they do. It’s a great way to get your message out.
List shoppers and browsers alike are important to the success of any business.
Effective merchandising is key in attracting these different types of customers. Retailers recognize through promotional campaigns target shapers who influence their friends’ purchase decisions. These are people who share positive experiences with them.
How Are Field Marketing Campaigns Developed?
A field marketing campaign can be subject to development by an individual company. But it can be part of a joint venture with other companies who are competing for the same target market.
Field marketers work to understand their markets and develop marketing strategies addressing marketing objectives. They do this all while maximizing exposure in specific geographic areas, such as neighborhoods.
The field marketers evaluate these campaigns by measuring awareness levels. This includes actual sales response rates and customer satisfaction rates.
Field marketing is sometimes used internally by companies to generate interest among employees, specifically about an upcoming event or new product line launch.
A well-designed campaign provides this information through all available channels:
- Brochures left at home
- Flyers sent home from school during holidays
- Announcements on local radio stations
- Mailings directed at people living near stores
Basically, it includes any way to reach your target audience. A typical field marketing campaign may involve any of the tactics below.
Sampling and Demonstrations
Field marketers often rely on product sampling and demonstrations to get their products in front of their target audience. The strategy is most effective when done inside stores where the product can be bought, as well as at fairs, trade shows, concerts. You want to think of any place with a lot of people who might be interested in what you are selling.
Sampling should not just happen spontaneously. That’s why field marketers must come prepared with plenty of samples.
Your target audience isn’t likely to purchase immediately after being exposed to your brand during these events. However, they would if they were walking into a grocery store and saw boxes galore stacked high onto shelves lining both sides of an aisle.
In-Store Promotions
In-store promotions are becoming more and more common for businesses. This is specifically to sell their products as well as give c
ustomers a chance to receive deals.
For instance, a depot store offers roofing, tile, window installation services among other things needed for a home improvement project. The staff at these depots is usually friendly people who have been working there long enough to know what questions every customer asks when walking into such stores.
Lead generators might use this opportunity by talking with potential clients about projects they’re currently looking at doing on their homes. If any of those plans fit some of the current deals, they’ll be able to take care of it on-site rather than having them search elsewhere.
Street Promotions
Street promotions are a great way for marketers to get the word out about their business. A promotion could be anything from handing out flyers, coupons, or incentive cards with your contact information on them.
All of these things will ensure that people associate you and your brand with being fun!
When done right, consumers may come back in anticipation of another chance at winning.
Merchandising
Merchandising is making sure that retail displays are attractive to customers. They require coordinating with retailers.
Savvy retailers will make sure that products face with the customer and well-stocked. But a marketer can negotiate special displays or particular shelf space.
A savvy retailer would not purchase your product unless you provide them an incentive such as negotiating bulk purchase discounts in advance. This is so they won’t lose profits when consumers buy it at higher prices later down the line!
The field marketist aims to cultivate his/her relationship with both companies. This includes other B2B digital marketing professionals who work in similar fields like merchandising.
This is because working together, everyone wins. After all, without teamwork, the dream doesn’t work.
Guerrilla Marketing Campaigns
In the business world, guerrilla marketing is a term used to describe unconventional and innovative marketing strategies. It is a winning field marketing strategy that can be used by any company of any size to achieve success.
In order for guerrilla marketing to work, it has to be unexpected and different.
This is why field marketers must always be on the lookout for new opportunities that can help them stand out from the competition.
It’s all about getting creative with your approach in order to stand out from the competition. Tactics can include anything from street promotions to social media campaigns.
The key is to be unique and unexpected. This will create a lasting impression on potential customers.
Guerrilla field marketers are part of the field marketing team and think outside the box. They support the marketing efforts by using both traditional and non-traditional tactics to get their message across.
These field marketers may also take advantage of technology like social media platforms or mobile apps that allow them to run campaigns remotely while they’re out in public spaces interacting with consumers directly.
Traditional Marketing vs Field Marketing
When compared against traditional marketing, field marketing comes with many differences. For instance, field marketing is more hands-on and less product-focused.
The person or company who hired the field marketist would have to rely on the knowledge of this individual to figure out what marketing strategies will work for their business and make the marketing efforts more personal.
However, field marketing has been proven to have better long-term results as it helps businesses create personal relationships with their customers
For field marketing, it’s not just one group that benefits from it. Everyone wins when you’re using field marketing.
Marketers need an insider perspective on how consumers think. This is so they can create field marketing campaigns that resonate with them better than traditional advertising does.
You’ll also get insights into other aspects of businesses that may never be subject to vision otherwise like supply chains, production lines, competitors’ pricing schemes, etc. These insights will only arise from someone who is on the inside.
It helps you build a whole new level of trust with your customers and consumers. This can lead to more sales and higher prices in turn.
For traditional marketing strategies, the act of presenting a marketing message to consumers to sell a product or service is the main driver. This type of promotion usually includes advertising, public relations, and personal selling. It can also involve environmental factors such as packaging design and brand management.
Traditional marketing is often outdated and overused. Customers are accustomed to it daily— blasted with advertising.
How to Leverage Experiential Marketing?
The field marketist looking for a new way of connecting with customers can leverage Experiential Marketing to boost sales. With this approach, the field digital marketing teams are tasked with designing and implementing an interactive experience, like setting up booths at trade shows or festivals where people can play games as part of their interaction with your brand.
Experiential marketing provides the field marketing manager with a unique opportunity to connect with customers and prospects on a personal level.
It also allows the customer or prospect to interact directly with your product or service, which can create a lasting impression.
How Field Marketing Helps Businesses?
As a company, you might deem it not only appropriate but necessary to implement field marketing. This is because field marketing initiatives can help you cut costs, get personal with the customer and collect statistics on interactivity with your service or product.
Some of the other reasons field marketing is great for businesses are:
- Establishes a connection between the product and the customer
- Creates trust with customers by personalizing their experience
- Doesn’t rely on outdated media, like TV and Radio
- A more personal way to reach customers in their communities
As you can see the benefits are plentiful, and that’s only some of them.
What is the Role of the Field Marketing Manager?
As field marketing becomes an increasingly popular field, more and more field marketers are required to fill positions in companies. Field Marketing Managers can be found working for large corporations, small businesses, or even independently as marketing consultants.
Field Marketing Management is a job that involves many tasks such as designing field marketing campaigns, planning events and activities at trade shows; creating promotional materials like flyers and brochures; working with the sales team to identify potential leads; developing relationships with local businesses and organizations; and managing a budget.
Often, field marketing managers must wear many hats and be able to do a little bit of everything. This makes it an interesting and challenging field in which to work.
Field Marketing Tips
To succeed with field marketing, some things can be done right and some things can be done wrong. To succeed with field marketing, you must have a plan in place before you start going door to door. This is where mapping out neighborhoods can come into play.
Did you know someone living near their clients could provide an emotional connection? It’s not likely they’ll give up personal information on their neighbors. But, they may offer helpful information about places nearby businesses are located.
It also helps when you have a map outlining what areas will be covered. This can be how many doors will need to be knocked on within one day (i.e., 20). Be sure to factor in travel time between destinations too!
You should also establish trust with your customer by establishing an emotional connection to the product or service.
Next, advertise and brand yourself before you go into the field marketing process. This is so customers are aware of who they’re dealing with when they see someone from your company.
It’s helpful if this occurs through some sort of media, such as social media accounts, websites, and mailers.
Be knowledgeable about what type of branding will get good results for your business (or know how to find out). This may depend on whether you need people to remember you from across the street or just down the block. It also depends on where most potential clients live: city, suburb, or rural area.
Be aware of the potential risks or disadvantages that field marketing poses to your company and be prepared for them. You don’t want to be met with thousands of issues that you simply did not have the courage to foresee. Take your time and learn the ins and outs of field marketing.
Marketing Done Right
Now that you know the basics of field marketing, you are well on your way to deciding if you would like to implement it in your next growth campaigns. In any case, there’s really no rush and marketing does take time.
For your field marketing campaigns to succeed, you must be diligent with reporting. This includes things like looking at statistics, analysis, split testing, closed-loop marketing.
Without integrating these essential faculties of marketing, you will be left to your own devices. And that is not something you want to happen when you have a marketing budget that will not make itself back unless you deem it so appropriate.
Nonetheless, marketing is not for everyone and it can be daunting to learn. So why not find someone to help you out? Either way, field marketing managers will always deliver better results than a beginner.
If you’re interested in taking your business to the next level, get in touch with me and I will happily assist with your marketing needs.
