Angels Baseball has been a tradition with my family for decades. Growing up we had season tickets and I remember sitting in the “Big A” when Nolan Ryan threw his first no-hitter. I also remember sitting through years of losing seasons and in particular hearing my dad swear for the first time – under his breath I heard him say “Those damn Angels” after a difficult loss.
The other night I was watching an Angel game on TV and a commercial aired for the team that referenced the “tradition” of Angels baseball. This got me thinking how in recent years the Angels have flipped their game a bit and have embraced untraditional ways of manufacturing wins which has now become tradition for them. They think about the game slightly differently, a little more “out of the box,” the same way small business should think about their marketing programs.
Here are some examples:
1. The Angels are scrappy. They can be down 5 or 6 runs, but they stay true to their game plan and claw their way back one run at a time. They don’t quit, they don’t give up, they continually plug away.
This is a key point small businesses need to remember with their marketing program. Marketing takes time, dedication and must have a good, solid marketing plan that can be followed. Keep to the plan and if it is a good plan, it will work.
2. The Angels take chances. Sometimes it pays off, sometimes not so much, but the Angels give each and every game their all and try to take advantage of every opportunity given to them.
And so should small businesses. Social media is a good example of this as it provides businesses with the gift of marketing with little or no money. It’s a marketing chance that businesses must take and use to their advantage.
3. The Angels embrace non-traditional plays. Often times when watching an Angel game the team tries a play that you don’t see very often. It surprises the fans and creates excitement ~ whether the play works or not.
That’s the same type of thing small businesses should look for when putting their marketing programs together. You don’t need to re-invent the wheel. Just look for an angle that hasn’t been seen for a while, look for an idea “out of the box.” Create excitement and your marketing plan, as well as your business, will be on its way to success.
4. The Angels know their competition, but they stay true to their style of baseball.
In business you certainly need to know your competition, but you also need to stay true to yourself and what sets your business apart from your competition. That is a big element of what makes a business successful – knowing who you are, what you are and playing to your strengths.
5. Angel Stadium is always either sold out or very close to a sell out. They have connected with the Southern California baseball market.
Fans flock to Angel Stadium knowing they are in for a good game with great service and terrific ambiance. Marketing should always highlight what makes your customer’s experience great. Lay that out clearly in your marketing plan, continually refer to those points and if you deliver what you say you can your marketing will resonate with your customers and you will be successful.
6. The Angels organization trusts their players and empowers them to be their very best by giving them the “green light” during games to take some chances.
It all starts at the top. Give your employees the opportunity to enhance your business. Give them the “green light” to go the extra mile and make your customers happy. Your employees are part of your marketing team, make sure they know they play a vital role on the team and put your trust in them.
The Angels played the Texas Rangers the other night. They were down in the 5th, 3 – 2. In the 6th they focused on their now “traditional” style of Angel baseball, manufacturing runs one play at a time. They scored 4 runs in the 6th and for fans it was pure excitement. The Angels held on and won the game and gave the fans exactly what they wanted to experience. This is a great scenario for small business marketing. Flip “tradition” slightly; look at your marketing from a different angle. Make small goals that are attainable so you work on reaching success one step at a time. Stay true to your style of business and before you know it, it will be the bottom of the 9th and your own version of fireworks will be going off signaling that your business is a winner.
Looking for more small business marketing tips? A few tips are posted each week on the Just a Small Town Girl Facebook page – hope you will visit and drop a note on the wall! Please feel free to download The Small Town Marketing Handbook (free short ebook found on the blog) which discusses how social media allows each of us to be part of our own “small town” regardless of where we live. Also, if you would like to know a little bit more about how I market with little or no budget, here is our case study from Social Media Examiner – http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/how-social-media-saved-lake-arrowhead-when-city-ad-budgets-ran-dry/