It’s going to be hard to find a market as hot as the VoIP market. 

New entrepreneurs are starting their own VoIP resellers business – even with ZERO experience in the telecommunications industry – and are immediately finding success. 

New VoIP resellers must understand that they need to stand out from the competition if they want the best chance at success; marketing is the best way to do that. 

If the idea of marketing gives you the chills, you’re not alone. 

But, as you’re about to see (or read), effective marketing is just honing in on your unique value and connecting it to the potential customers in need of that value. 

Alright, let’s take a look at some marketing tips that are perfect for new VoIP resellers. 

Develop your unique brand

If you want to stand out in the VoIP market, you’re going to need a crystal clear brand identity. 

After all, every other VoIP reseller is selling basically the same stuff you are, phones and services, with a few differences. What customers really buy is the brand – the personality. 

Your brand is a character speaking to the customer, so your brand identity must be unique. 

Before they start their new VoIP business, some already have a good idea of what type of brand identity they want. 

Others have no idea.

Either way, do yourself a favor and leave some room for your brand to grow and change. Your target market can change how you want your brand to be seen. 

Target Market

If your unique brand is a character, then your target market is who that character is talking to. 

There are a few ways to hone in on your target market. 

The three most common ways are: 

• Experience – use your previous experience! Is there an industry or business that you personally know could benefit from VoIP? If there is, you’re going to be UNIQUELY qualified to sell to that market (plus, you can use your network to get started!).
• Locality – your local market is a great place to start if you’re looking for a specific market. Every local market will have a few businesses or industries that are more prominent than others – if you’re able to start in that specific market, you can use that to reach more and more of the businesses in that market. 
• Research – the last most common way to develop a target market is to do some research (you’re already doing some!). You want to find a market that can benefit from VoIP AND a market you can reach. The more competition there is for that market, the more specific you need to stand out. If that paints a picture of a business you like, then that’s your place to start! 

Develop a Marketing Strategy

The term marketing strategy can feel like something only the big businesses need, but every business should (and can) have a marketing strategy. 

Your marketing strategy is how your (unique) brand interacts and engages with your (target) market. 

Marketing strategies come in two forms: online and offline. 

MOST strategies are online. Most businesses won’t touch any offline marketing. 

Which means it stands out that much more!

If you’re doing any amount of local business (and you probably are), then offline marketing is something you should consider. 

New VoIP businesses can benefit significantly from an offline marketing strategy of simply sending a letter to the businesses around you when you open, explaining how you’re excited to be a part of the local community and what you think you can do for them. 

The more specific the letter, the better. 

You wouldn’t want to write a letter about how you can help people sell more products and then deliver that letter to a business that only sells services – they’ll instantly feel alienated and think you didn’t do your research. 

Online marketing is a lot more flexible and easier to implement, but there’s a lot more to get wrong, too. 

There are four things that, when done together, create a solid online marketing strategy. 

Remember, you have a unique brand and a target market. Therefore, what you say in your marketing NEEDS to speak to WHO you are and WHO you’re talking to. 

The four main components are Email, Social Media, Website, and Content. Before we break them down, it’s essential to see how they all work together. 

You’ll create engaging content (for your audience) and put it on your website. Then, you’ll write a social media post about that piece of content and link to it. 

Content is your way of getting people to visit your site, click on your profile, and open your emails. 

Content can take many forms. Enormous, 6,000-word blog posts, graphics and statistics, webinars, videos, animations, and the list just keeps going. 

You have options when it comes to content! 

Whatever you make is the fuel you’ll use to power the rest of your online marketing strategy. 

Content should be broken down into three groups: Awareness, Action, Advocacy. 

Awareness – this is how you get people to notice you. Maybe they don’t know your brand exists; perhaps they don’t even know that they have a problem that needs a solution – no matter where your target audience is, awareness content gets them familiar with you and your expertise. 

Action – once your audience is aware of you, aware of their problem, and knows you have a solution, it’s time to try and get them to take action. This isn’t always about making a sale. Sometimes the action is sharing a post, downloading a pdf, and so on. 

Advocacy – after you make a sale, that customer is your most valuable resource. Customers that have already opened up their wallets to you are usually 10 times more likely to buy from you than a new potential customer. Advocacy is how you engage with these customers, giving them valuable information and attention. 

Your website is your home for your content, along with the products and services you offer.

While traffic may find your website from different sources (social media posts, referrals, Google searches, etc.), you must be ready to get all you can out of it. 

While it would be ideal to make a sale every time someone visits your site, it’s still hugely beneficial if you’re able to get an email address. 

But, how are you going to get that email address? 

Trade for it! 

Give your customer something they want – that has value – and that they’re willing to trade their email address for. 

Usually, this takes shape as some sort of free asset, like a webinar, ebook, or guide. 

Now that you have their email address…

You can start sending them emails. 

Emails are your way of engaging with customers. Engage too much, or not in the right way, and you’ll probably end up losing those email addresses. 

Here are a few Do’s and Don’ts for emailing your customers.