4 Marketing Lessons To Learn From This Customized Gifts Seller Dose of Roses CEO Joseph Ayoub uses seasonal discounts and celebrities on social media to popularize his products

Aside from your business plan, what's the foundation for your company's success? It's your customers. But you can't get customers overnight by waving a magic wand. It takes time, and you need to build your reputation slowly. You must entice potential customers to try your product and highlight what makes it different from your competitors. It's only then that they may feel enthusiastic to check out what you have to offer and perhaps turn into loyal customers.

And what's the best way to attract the attention of your target audience? Marketing your business tactfully. Sure, your business idea is essential. But it's also how you present your business idea to your audience that plays a crucial role. Even a common business idea may seem distinctly different if you offer it in a way that's never been done before.

Take Dose of Roses, for example. It revolves around the age-old idea of providing customized gifts. But its owner, Joseph Ayoub, presented this idea differently to make his brand stand out. Here are some of the strategies he implemented and what you can pick up from each of them.

Start a referral program

Ayoub started selling Rose Bears before Valentine's Day in 2019. But word spread quickly about how unique their gift concept is. Their Rose Bears became insanely in-demand that they ran out of stocks well ahead of time and couldn't find similar bears in the whole of Los Angeles. Their product alone did the trick, and the customers' reaction made the product famous.

What do you learn from this technique apart from the fact that the product was unique? It's the fact that nothing beats the word of mouth of your customers. This is what referrals can do for your business. If you manage to get at least a few customers, you should encourage them to review your products and spread the word to their friends, family and colleagues.

When customers are happy with the product, they would immediately recommend your brand to the people around them, setting in motion a chain reaction. Once you start a referral program successfully, you can count on your existing customers to do the hard work of marketing your business to others.

Showcase why your product is unique

As already mentioned, customized gifts during Valentine's Day is a pervasive business idea. But Ayoub wanted to market his products differently. Once Rose Bears ran out of stock, he came up with the idea of selling timeless roses that would last for up to five years. Customers can order roses according to their choice of arrangements, featuring unique colors, shapes and sizes.

Can you tell how Ayoub made his product stand out? He not just focused on the fact that people could get customized roses. He set out a platter of how people could customize their gifts. This is what sets Dose of Roses apart from companies with similar business ideas. While they are selling personalized gifts, their way of showcasing their product is different. Joseph focuses on the personalization of roses, which many people are still unaware of.

It's not always possible for entrepreneurs to invent a new product and then start a business. Somewhere, someone is doing a similar type of business that you want to create. The question is, how are you making your product stand out among your potential customers? What makes your product different?

Give away seasonal discounts

If you visit Dose of Roses now, you will see them offering a flat 25 per cent discount on all products. Ayoub doesn't just limit promoting Dose of Roses on social media. He spreads the word of upcoming deals through newsletters and emails.

And what does that tell you about Ayoub's plan of promoting his product? He is working on the widespread truth that customers love discounts. Whether it's just a 10 per cent off or a whopping 30 per cent discount, customers would jump to check out the product once they hear a store is providing discount offers.

Offering seasonal discounts will bring back your old customers and entice your target audience to try your products because they are available at a lower price. While it's an old trick, it still works like magic.

Promote positive reviews

You will often see Dose of Roses posting positive customer reviews on their social media pages. Ayoub even posts pictures of celebrity customers holding their bouquet of roses.

Why do you think Ayoub does these types of things? Sure, an entrepreneur wants to spread positivity about his company. But what's the bigger picture here? New customers often try out new products when they see tons of positive reviews. Maybe they are skeptical about shifting to a new brand but may want to change their mind if they see good reviews about your product. Therefore, don't stop posting positive reviews wherever you market your products. From social media to email marketing campaigns, make your potential customers know what others have to say about your brand.

Promoting a business isn't a herculean task if you know and master the basics. Despite what many people would have, you believe, it isn't enough to create a unique product and expect it to sell like hotcakes. You must employ various marketing strategies and analyze which ones produce the best results for your business.