As you may know, I had the chance to visit Europe to visit a friend who lives over there. It is my first time travelling to Europe as an adult, and the first time we did international travel with our three young kids. As I’ve been back and had some time to reflect on the situation, I have had the chance to think of a few lessons that I learned from our differences culturally with Europe. As I thought more about them, I realized how I might implement those lessons into my own business marketing strategy, and thought I’d share those as well.
People Prefer Simplicity
While in Europe, one thing that I really appreciated is the fact that the price that was listed was the price. In America, when you go to purchase an item, you never know exactly the price because the listed price generally does not include the tax that will be tacked on at the end. We’ve come to expect this as Americans, so when I went to the checkout counter and found that the listed price included the tax of the item, it was nice to know exactly what I would be paying. From food to consumer goods, the simpler that you can make the process the better. So while this approach may not be feasible for price for all US services, you can still simplify your processes. Look at how you can make results, price, and experience predictable and simple for your customers.
Know Your Target Audience and What They Want
As I mentioned, I experienced international travel with my kids, aged 8. 5. and 2. While we have done quite a bit of travel in the US, the experience of International flight, jet lag, and historic tourism was new to them.
Something that we came to realize quickly throughout the trip was that they were not interested in appreciating nature, Gothic Cathedrals, or medieval castles. So we detoured from our outlined plans and took the kids to Legoland Deutschland for a day. It was a great chance for them to be kids, running around, having fun, and burning off energy without the limitations of touch and appropriate behavior some of our other plans had.
When we planned our trip, we planned things that we thought they would enjoy. And to some extent, they did. But after a while it became apparent that we needed to pivot our plans and do something that was designed specifically for them.
As a business owner, there are times when we think we know our audience. But when the data comes in, we have to be willing to pivot and adjust our marketing strategy to resolve the pain points that our target audience experiences. Pivoting outside of your plans may be difficult and harder on your budget, but it will create a much smoother experience.
Know Where You've Been So You Can Know Where To Go
As an American living in Utah, something I am not accustomed to is cities that are hundreds of years old, and designed long before the idea of cars. My wife and I enjoyed exploring these old cities- often turned into tourist traps- that flaunted some of the most stunning architecture you can imagine. It was amazing to walk cobblestone streets and imagine living 300 or 500 years ago, imagining how different life was for those who lived in these cities.
As I was thinking about this, I also thought about how these different cities have been impacted by the previous years. The cities weren’t designed for cars, and as such they have many things within walking and biking distance. The streets are cleaner and clearer, and overall the travel experience is much nicer- until you miss your bus at 10:30pm. But that’s a story for another day.
The point is that as business owners, you have a story to tell. Whether it’s your brand’s story, your story as an entrepreneur, or lessons that you’ve learned, people become invested in that story. This story should inform your strategy moving forward, and as long as your stay true to that story, you will find that people are loyal to your brand.
I feel extremely grateful for the trip I was able to take. As some of you know, before starting Noisy Bird Marketing, I was working for the government and making $20 per hour. This was a job that not only failed to provide for my family, but also one that I had no passion or drive for. I feel extremely blessed to have been able to work with the businesses I have, and flex my creative and technical muscles in ways I never imagined possible. Noisy Bird Digital Marketing is not only a passion project for me, but it’s the way that I feed my family, and provide the life that I want for them. Robert and I are grateful to be building something amazing not only for ourselves and our clients, but for our families as well.
And as always, if you are interested in learning more or letting us take over your marketing strategy, click Book a Free Consultation above to learn how we can help you!