Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/1503288
PalletCentral • May-June 2023 17 For those who are afraid to take first step into building brand recognition, here are some simple suggestions to get going. S T E P O N E : Maximize Your Website: You must have a current and well-executed website in place. First impressions are critical. Hiring a marketing professional to develop your website is an investment in future business. Overall, it should have: • User-Friendly Interface: Users should be able to find the information they need quickly and easily, without confusion or frustration. It should be well-designed, intuitive, and easy to navigate. • Interesting Content: It should be engaging, informative, and relevant to the target audience, including well-written articles and blogs. • Compatibility: A great website must be responsive and compatible across different screen sizes and devices. • Current Features: Keep your website fresh. e key is not to set it and neglect it. S T E P T W O : Make a Commitment: You need consistency to successfully create a vibrant company persona. Nothing is accomplished if an effort is started and then abandoned, leaving behind outdated data behind in the wake. If no one in your company can do it, seek help from outside sources. Make it an official part- time job in your company with accountability and objectives, not as a favor. Create a plan of action to guide that person on their duties. Make a list of 10-15 topics to cover and then set a frequency of effort. Cycle through the list, as needed. On timing, keep it manageable – once a week or bi-weekly is fine to get started. Annette Ferri, vice president of communications, explains, "You're not just selling wooden pallets, you're promoting all the positive contributions your company makes. It can be your commitment to sustainability to valuable partnerships or highlighting your employees to community involvement. People want to do business with those they know, like and trust." S T E P T H R E E : Choose a Platform, or Two: Where do your target market and potential customers hang out? LinkedIn has gained popularity in recent years. But many still use Facebook and Twitter, so don't ignore them. Keep it simple, and doable, to follow through. Each of these platforms offer scheduling tools to help with your planning. A successful sales approach for companies in the wooden pallet industry utilizes common sense components to selling products, such as: • Offering customization options, such as size variations or branding opportunities, to cater to customers seeking personalized solutions. e NWPCA Pallet Design System™ can help with this (www.palletdesignsystem.com). • Building strong relationships with customers by providing exceptional service, maintaining open communication channels, and promptly addressing any concerns or inquiries will foster trust and repeat business. • Showcasing practicality, durability, environ- mental benefits, and adaptability to meet the diverse needs of businesses across various industries. To set your company apart from outside industry competitors, emphasizing the sustainability aspect of wooden pallets, such as their recyclability and eco-friendly nature, is a key compelling selling point in today's environmentally conscious market. e National Wooden Pallet and Container Association (NWPCA) offers help in this area with these industry-specific resources: • Environmental Product Declaration – www.palletcentral.com/epd • Landfill Avoidance (95% Recycle Rate): www.palletcentral.com/LandfillAvoidance • USDA BioPreferred® Program – www.palletcentral.com/BioPreferred • Nature's Packaging Research & Stories – www.naturespackaging.org • Industry Marketing Resources – www.palletcentral.com/resources • Pallet Foundation – https://palletfoundation.org Any of these NWPCA resources offers shareable content for a company's social media and marketing efforts, as well as verifiable data to back up claims. Telling a Big Story with Limited Resources ose who run small- to medium-sized businesses can be ones that struggle building and maintaining a marketing and social media presence. Many pallet companies are owned and operated by mixed-generation families or sole owners, and their limited time is best spent on building the part of the business that has bottom-line ROI attached – making and selling wooden pallets. Yet, broader company brand recognition is not something to be ignored, and it isn't all just about quality product, service, and price. "You're not just selling wooden pallets, you're promoting all the positive contributions your company makes." — Annette Ferri