Field Marketing: 5 Field Marketing Strategies

Field marketing is a form of in-person experiential marketing where brand representatives have real-time interactions with customers to demonstrate merchandising and new products. Field marketing can occur at grocery stores, college campuses, trade shows, on the sidewalk, or anywhere in “the field” or in public.

Marketing teams may use field marketing strategies to distribute giveaways or free samples, share product demonstrations, and generate direct sales. While sales are the ultimate goal of these marketing initiatives, brand awareness is equally important. These guerilla marketing tactics help companies directly share products with a target audience and build customer relationships.

A field team can employ the following strategies:

1. 1. Hand out marketing materials. Flyering or handing out literature to passersby are field marketing activities. Create printouts with dynamic graphics and copy so people will want to learn more. Be sure to mention pricing and include a call to action.
2. 2. Make a pop-up. Pop-up events are a form of guerilla marketing that can effectively attract potential customers. Pop-up events or stands catch the eye and invite social media opportunities, helping you control brand perception and generate buzz.
3. 3. Set up a table at a trade show. Roadshows can be an excellent place for exposure. Find a show that exhibits similar products and get your product in front of customers’ eyes with unique product demos, presentations, or giveaways.
4. 4. Try a virtual event. Field marketing generally occurs publicly, but field teams can host virtual events to experiment with product marketing. Webinars with the company’s CEO or other forms of inside access can engage potential customers with a brand.
5. 5. Use surveys. For food or other product samples, collect real-time feedback by asking participants to answer a few quick questions on the spot verbally or with a tablet for easier metrics collection. This engages your customers and allows them to voice their opinion.

There are many benefits to this marketing plan. Field marketing strategies allow your company to:

1. 1. Easily measure return on investment. In a day of field marketing, it’s easy to know the number of employees, how many products you brought along, and the number of sales. This can make for a more straightforward measure of return on investment (ROI) and can help inform in which areas or zip codes your products sell more quickly.
2. 2. Get real-time feedback. While engaging with customers personally, you may invite responses or reactions to your product or service, which gives you greater insight into how your customers think and feel.
3. 3. Meet your target market. By studying where your target audience lives and shops, you can strategize where you plan to market to them and build new connections through chats, samplings, and demonstrations.
4. 4. Spread brand awareness. Getting your brand right out in front of customers will make them more likely to remember it. If the customer experience is positive, they’ll keep your company in mind for future transactions.

Field marketing can also present obstacles. Consider the following drawbacks:

1. 1. Bad weather can dampen plans. Rain or snow can easily cancel your carefully laid-out strategy if you plan to go outdoors on a specific day.
2. 2. Interaction can be minimal. Some people do not want to engage with sales reps, so engagement can be hit or miss.
3. 3. Staff must be experts. As a sales rep in these more intimate marketing scenarios, it is easy to be overly forward or underwhelming. Correctly reading customers is key to a successful interaction, so companies must train field marketing teams precisely and hire members with strong social interaction skills.
4. 4. ROI can be challenging. Some customers will take the freebies and run. Your brand awareness may be effective, but generating sales may be tricky.

Follow these tips to map out a successful field marketing campaign:

1. 1. Bring freebies. You’ll want your customers to take something tangible away with them, like a piece or literature or a sample, so they can remember your brand. Include pertinent information, such as social media handles or websites.
2. 2. Have a closing strategy. Even though customer interactions can be brief, you’ll want to leave them with a call to action. This may be a survey, a sale, or a follow on social media—give your participant the opportunity to engage further.
3. 3. Know where to go. Some areas and demographics may not respond to your product as warmly as others, so do your research to know where to promote your services most effectively.
4. 4. Less is more. Field marketing is not the time for a hard sell. Instead, it’s an opportunity to engage customers. Pushing a product too hard can scare them away, so opt for friendly, breezy interactions.
5. 5. Look active. Smile, be on your feet, and have a friendly demeanor that invites conversation and interaction.

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