tracking marketing efforts

[Starkissed]

Hey I know that for marketing to be successful, it has to be tracked, monitored, adjusted. Great.

How do you smarter than I people do that?

An excel spreadsheet would be wonderful, but I don't have the first clue how to set it up.

When I was doing the "give to get" program, you know, give out hundreds of half hour GCs hoping to get a few back, I noted on a paper or 2 the expiration, how many went where, and how I coded each one. After I got back a few, I sorted them and counted them, and noted that some events were a lot better than others. None really good.

Some of my biz comes from BNI, some from the Chamber, some from website, some from phone book, some from a combination, some from client referrals.

I'd appreciate any and all honest ethical and integumentally sound responses. Thanks

 

[kiki-cat]

I just keep keep track of actual specific referrals in a file with hatch marks next to "Networking group," "phone book," "Craigslist," "website," "poster (note location)," "client referral." I am very careful to ask every single person how they heard about me, even if they do not end up making an appointment.

But don't forget that with some of your marketing you won't exactly know how it's working for a while, because is is awareness marketing. Eventually people just know about you because "I heard somewhere that you're the headache guy" - that's when I put a mark down on my list for the category, "community buzz." (I don't have very many on that list yet, but I was so excited the day I added it!)

However I am not smarter than you so I am not sure if my system such as it is qualifies as a reply!

 

[Che M]

I just keep keep track of actual specific referrals in a file with hatch marks next to "Networking group," "phone book," "Craigslist," "website," "poster (note location)," "client referral."

Uhhhhhhhhhh so you've got a file folder in the cabinet with these names on it: phone book, etc. And you put the intake form into it? Or you have a paper and write the name of the person on it? date, so forth??

However I am not smarter than you so I am not sure if my system such as it is qualifies as a reply!

Don't be so sure...I still live in MN! Hot, Cold, Snow, Humidity, Hail, Tornados, AND Where bridges fall down for no apparant reason. And we're a year behind with fashion and music and movies and culture. Did you realize that I write this on my Big Chief tablet and mail it to a relative in CA so it can be posted? Sad but true.

OW just got a splinter from the tablet's "high quality" paper.

 

[bre]

AND Where bridges fall down for no apparant reason

LOL. While I'm sorry about the bridge, I'm not sorry you live in Minnesota. I loved visiting there. Thanks for the laugh though!

 

[mama]

Uhhhhhhhhhh so you've got a file folder in the cabinet with these names on it: phone book, etc. And you put the intake form into it? Or you have a paper and write the name of the person on it? date, so forth??

Oh Mick, what are we going to do with you . . . *sigh*

No, my "system" is totally not as complicated as I made it sound!

It is literally a single sheet of paper (which I happened to put in a folder so I don't lose it). The paper has a list on it with just hatch marks, sort of like this:


2007 New-Client Call Sources

Networking group |||
phone book ||
Craigslist |||| |||
website ||||
poster ||| (1 Co-op, 2 Dr. W's office)
client referral |||| ||
Buzz |||

It's not written on a sheet of Big Chief, but I swear to you-know-who that last year I kept it in a Pee-Chee folder. That I got for free somewhere! : So even though it gives me all the information I need, it isn't complicated to keep.

I do also note over at the side of each list item, the # of calls in that category that did not result in an appointment. Bumping up the sophistication factor just a touch.

 

[Penny]

That's pretty much what my "system" looks like, too. A sheet of paper with tally marks on it in a folder. I keep it in a file cabinet and everything. I even have the file folder marked "marketing stats."

 

[Socky]

I honestly don't keep track of what generates calls, only clients. So if a caller doesn't book, I don't make a point of finding out where they got my number.

EVERY client however does get asked the question and it gets input into my client management software. From there I can generate reports to see all kinds of neat things.

 

[Froggies angel]

When you finally get it on paper, it can be quite a surprise!

I also use a grid on paper (being a little computer illiterate). Although my track sheets are much more detailed. I keep track of the days of the week, sex of the client, reason for visit, how they heard of me, time of appt. (morn or eve.?), and the length of time purchased---on a chart using a grid and scratch marks. I used to do this every six months when I had my practice in AL, but now not so much.

All that info is really helpful when you are trying to decide which days to take off work, how to advertise, and generally why people are coming in to see you--knowing all of this can help your practice.

Also, I am a very organized person and I enjoy tracking my work for business purposes when needed.

 

[CheyGirl]

I honestly don't keep track of what generates calls, only clients. So if a caller doesn't book, I don't make a point of finding out where they got my number.

I used to let that go too, but then I thought it would be interesting to see if a lot of the non-booking calls were hearing of me from somewhere I should quit advertising. To do this I had to find out where people hear about me while they are still callers, not wait until they are clients. It turned out that I got quite a few calls from the phone book, but literally ONE of those calls in 3 years (years!) ever turned into a regular client, and even she's not with me any more. Which told me the phone book was generating calls but not generating clients (although it may have been an awareness-marketing tool - harder to gauge those).

With my phone-book ad gone this year, I have not seen a slowdown in new-regular growth. I do however get fewer calls looking for a massage right now - it's time I don't have to waste on the phone, in addition to the money spent more effectively elsewhere.

 

[yasmin]

EVERY client however does get asked the question and it gets input into my client management software. From there I can generate reports to see all kinds of neat things.

Can you elaborate a little more? What software, what sort of neat things, thanks

 

[Sad Blonde Knight]

I've been helping a friend develop a tracking system for her promotions.

Right now we're keeping it simple, a basic Excel spread sheet with columns labeled:
Promotion (w/ year/date)
Type (discount, package, gift card, etc)
Package/Gift Certificate #
Purchased By (and when)
Redeemed By (and when)
Profession/Condition of Client
How Referred

As she accumulates data on this spread sheet, she'll be able to quickly see:
What promotional offers brought in business
Who responds most strongly to various offers
Who is buying for others, and who is redeeming those purchases
What professions/medical conditions are responding to different offers
Relative effectiveness of discounts vs packages vs gift cards, etc
What marketing channels most effectively brought in business (BNI, web site, etc.), and of what type

Hope that helps!

 

[jkstender]

However I am not smarter than you so I am not sure if my system such as it is qualifies as a reply!

>>Don't be so sure...I still live in MN! Hot, Cold, Snow, Humidity, Hail, Tornados, AND Where bridges fall down for no apparant reason. And we're a year behind with fashion and music and movies and culture. Did you realize that I write this on my Big Chief tablet and mail it to a relative in CA so it can be posted? Sad but true.

>>OW just got a splinter from the tablet's "high quality" paper.[/quote]

LOL! I did experience living in MN for 15 months and can safely say that the above is absolutely true! While the state is lovely -- when you have the happy circumstance of timing your visits perfectly within the 3 day window each season that the weather is cooperating -- I prefer to merely visit there.

I was still there when those brand-new homes got the outside portions of them blown off by straight winds. Brutal...just brutal!

Hang in there!

Carole

 

[JoJo]

I've been helping a friend develop a tracking system for her promotions.

Right now we're keeping it simple, a basic Excel spread sheet with columns labeled:
[/color]

Hope that helps!

I'm sure it would if I could see it, otherwise it really does not make a lot of sense to me. I'm pretty basic when it comes to Excel.

Any way you could post a screenshot or something similar? Emailing it would be better, of course.

Thanks to all that have replied thus far...

 

[adie]

A quick question re: Craigslist: Has this been a source of referrals for many of you? When I look there it all seems so unpolished, but apparently it must work?

 

[Just me 2]

A quick question re: Craigslist: Has this been a source of referrals for many of you? When I look there it all seems so unpolished, but apparently it must work?

Walt, you may want to read the following thread. Many of the posts discuss people's experience with Craigslist - both good & bad:
http://www.massageplanet.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7119

 

[Lastnight]

I have a document that is part of my intake information for a new client that includes a question of "How did you hear about me?". It has been very helpful to follow the trends of the advertising and marketing efforts that I have done.

 

[liveandlaugh]

Walt,

I don't have any experience offering massage on Craigslist, but I did advertise for a therapist. It was a big mistake. I did get a good number of replies, but every one was from someone who's English was so difficult to understand that I had to keep asking them to repeat themselves. Although I realized they might be easier to understand in person, I was concerned about what would happen if my clients had the same difficulity I did, and how frustrating this could be for all concerned.

What surprised me the most was that every one lived about 1 1/2 hours from my studio (it was like all responses came from the same area), and all were will to travel, even when I explained to them that it would sometimes be for just one massage.

I ended up not interviewing any of them, because all else aside, the distance was just too far for me to feel comfortable with, and I anticipated problems when they figured this out for themselves.

So although I never offered massage, looking for a therapist to join my practice didn't work out so well.

Meryl

 

[salus]

I've been helping a friend develop a tracking system for her promotions.

Right now we're keeping it simple, a basic Excel spread sheet with columns labeled:
...

Hope that helps!

I'm sure it would if I could see it, otherwise it really does not make a lot of sense to me. I'm pretty basic when it comes to Excel.

Any way you could post a screenshot or something similar? Emailing it would be better, of course.

Thanks to all that have replied thus far...

It's still in early seforum.xxxes of use, and today we decided to make some changes so it's more intuitive and user-friendly. I'll let you know when the updated version is ready for viewing.

 

[bread]

A quick question re: Craigslist: Has this been a source of referrals for many of you? When I look there it all seems so unpolished, but apparently it must work?

Walt, I now use CL and do receive a number of quality "hits" per week from my ads there. But I agree w/you, the site has a very basic look, and the MTs/DCs/etc in my area who advertise on it tend to leave very basic-looking listings, not really putting in their names, phone #s, license info, etc. My listings are basically copy from my website (with links), lots of full info, because I am trying to attract a client to whom that kind of listing will appeal.

I wouldn't have believed it myself, but SandyO from here on the board turned me on to CL a couple months ago, and I've been very happy with the results, as she predicted.

/end derail