I just celebrated a big birthday. (It might have 5 in the number, but my wife tells me it’s not politik to reveal your actual age.)

Anyway, my wife took me to Jamaica to celebrate this milestone birthday, and in a word, it was a blast! I love the Caribbean, but I’ve never visited Jamaica and always wanted to visit. So, it was definately a “bucket list” trip.

Of course, part of the intent behind such a getaway is to “unplug.” And while I certainly did my best to disconnect, my keen eye for all things marketing is forever sharp. Once a marketing professional, always a marketing professional, right?

All of which led me to take note of 5 fundamental marketing principles commonplace in Jamaica that are applicable and essential to professional service businesses stateside. Jamaica might be a “banana republic,” but its hard-working people genuinely know how to S-E-L-L!

How so? Here are my 5 takeaways:

Persistence is KEY

We Airbnb’ed a unit in an ocean-view highrise condo on the “hip strip,” AKA Jimmy Cliff Boulevard, across the street from Doctor’s Cave beach, Montego Bay’s most famous beach. The hip strip’s primary taxi stand is in front of the beach’s entrance.

Which meant every time we walked out the front door, a retinue of eager cab drivers asked first, “Do you need a ride?” and second, “Do you want to smoke?” Weed is quasi-legal in Jamaica, so seemingly every local we encountered on the hip strip also inquired, “Do you want to smoke?”

The awesome tour driver we hired later shared that “weed is the easiest thing to sell,” implying lots of folks are in the pot trade as a sideline.

The takeaway here is that you never know when your offer will be “timely.” Thus, consistently making offers to ideal clients (qualified prospects with a genuine need for your services) ensures you’re ALWAYS timely. It also demonstrates that keep-in-touch measures like email newsletters and regular social media updates are invaluable marketing tools for making “timely connections.”

Local SEO and Google Business Matter

When you take a trip, you need a place to stay, places to eat, and you want to see local sights. And while in some cases, you may have word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and family or take advantage of all-inclusive trip offers, your first stop is usually Google.

We planned out nightly dining for the entire trip based on Google search results for “places to eat near me.” And we planned most of our excursion itinerary based on Google search results for “things to do in Montego Bay.”

The takeaway here is that if your website is not optimized for local search (or, even worse, if you don’t have a website) or if your business is not registered and confirmed with Google Business, you’re missing out on a BOATLOAD of prospects.

User Generated Content (UGC) Websites Are (Still) Important

As noted above, when you take a trip, you need a place to stay, places to eat, and you want to see local sights. And while Google Local Search and Google Business provide an overview of what’s available, directory sites like Trip Advisor offer insights into the quality available options. Trip Advisor reviews are often the ultimate decider when it comes to accommodations, restaurants, and attractions.

The same goes for your professional service business in your local marketplace. I’m no proponent of Yelp, as their ethics have proven dodgy at best. But the reality is Yelp and similar large-scale UCG review sites dominate traffic search traffic for small businesses in local markets. Thus, it’s critical that your business is represented, ideally in a positive light, on local UGC directory sites.

Customer Service is KING

On past trips with my wife and family, we’ve rented cars and tried to make our own way. This is partly because we rarely stay in “all-inclusive” resorts, preferring to gain our own sense of the “local flavor” rather than the generic tourist perspective.

All this said, driving in foreign countries can be tough as the rules of the road can vary, often greatly. Driving on tight, windy, pothole-pocked roads makes it even more challenging. And trying to do it in locales where they drive on the opposite side of the road is a recipe for disaster.

So, on this trip, we resolved to stay somewhere with a convenient location relative to our surroundings and hire a driver. Fortunately, our Airbnb host recommended a driver; connecting us with a guy that actually ferries the host’s Airbib guests to and from the airport. And that’s how we met Rickie.

Now, Jamaica was great. We saw amazing sights and met incredible people. But to be totally honest, Rickie MADE our trip. He took us to local spots, steered us around tourist traps, showed us sights we could only have seen with a native guide, and did it all with a warm grin and tons of cheer. He WANTED us to ask him questions. He WANTED to share his insights on Jamacia’s history and culture.

We would’ve had a good time without Rickie; Jamaica is simply beautiful. But with Rickie, we had a GREAT time.

In short, Rickie’s incomparable customer service made our trip spectacular. And if you can deliver that level of customer service, you’ll have loyal clients for however long you’re in business.

Make Good on Your Marketing Promises

The places we visited and restaurants we ate in on our trip made promises on their websites and other online promotions; in some cases, they made good on their promises and returned (or hope to in the future). In other cases, they did not. And if we’re fortunate to return to Jamaica, we won’t be back to any of these establishments.

This is clear evidence that effective marketing works, at least in terms of ushering folks through the front door. But nothing, not even stellar marketing, can overcome poor or mediocre service or work product. So, whatever service you provide, make sure you can do it well, or there’s no point in marketing your business in the first place.

Anyway, if you ever have the chance to visit Jamaica, I can’t recommend it enough — It’s a fabulous place! And in the meantime…

Need Help With Marketing Your Professional Services Business?

I’m here to help with any of the following…

Websites – New launches, site redesigns, and content updates.

Business blogging – Which establishes you as an industry authority and helps improve your website search engine ranking.

Email marketing – Writing content and designing emails for lead generation, eNewsletters, updates and announcements, and other prospect nurture campaigns.

Social media marketing – Helping establish your presence and increasing your reach in the highly active and prospect-rich social media sphere.

Brochures and flyers – Writing and designing collateral for agent and property promotion.

Direct mail campaigns – Writing and designing mailers for agent and property promotion.

PR – Drafting and distributing press releases to media outlets and industry influencers to gain media attention for your business.

Branding – Creating complete brand identities, including logos, color palettes, style guides, mission statements, unique selling propositions, and related content.

When you’re ready to get started…

Get in touch: 310.466.7893 | ryan@ryananys.com