6 Inbound Marketing Lessons from the Ice Cream Man

The other day the ice cream truck went through our neighborhood and I saw kids running down the street, chasing it. It took me back to when I was a kid and we would hear the sounds of the ice cream truck, and beg our parents for some spare change to get a popsicle.

In thinking about the ice cream man, I realized there were some nice Inbound Marketing lessons to be learned.

1. Be present where your customers are - The old proverb says we need to “fish where the fish are.” This is true. Driving the ice cream truck through a neighborhood in a 55+ community is probably not a good idea (unless you know that there are a lot of grandchildren hanging out there). It’s all about research. Do your homework and find out which social platforms and communities are where your customers and potential customers live. Find out what blogs and types of blogs they read. And when you find out where they are…be there!

2. Help them find you – Even if you find the right neighborhood, you have to make it easier for them to find you. That’s where the music comes in (though when I was a kid I think it was just bells). In my neighborhood, despite the loudness of the traffic, I can often hear the ice cream truck several blocks away. The music acts as a beacon, so that no matter where they are in the maze of streets, kids can find you. Online, do whatever you can to help people find you: relevant content, digital properties optimized for searches, smart messaging, participation in communities.

3. Timing is important – You don’t see or hear the ice cream man in the Winter. He hits the streets when the time is right…usually in the hot Summer months. During the final months of the school year he shows up in the evening, after dinner. Then when school lets out, he may show up on a hot afternoon, and again in the evening. Timing can be important in a lot of ways, such as when to run a promotion, the time of day (or day of week) to post your blog, or the best time of day to send out important Tweets or retweets.

4. Keep moving – The ice cream man doesn’t just stay in the same neighborhood and drive in circle. No, he mixes it up and often explores new territory in search of more markets. In the same way, don’t just set up shop one one or two platforms and let them sit. I often tell clients that when it comes to Social Media, there is no “finished product.” You just keep going and going. Social Media is a process. Don’t rest on your laurels.

5. Take care of your customers – When I saw the ice cream truck the other day, the driver made the kids wait on the sidewalk until he could pull over by the curb. He didn’t want them running out into the middle of the street. There was also a sign on the back of his truck telling other motorists to “Watch for Children.” Our customers are the reason we exist. We need to care for them and protect them. If they disappear, you disappear.

6. Keep ‘em happy! – The ice cream truck is all about fun and childhood innocence. For those of us who are older, it brings back fond memories of our childhood. Life might be rough, but when you hear that music and see the truck coming down the street, suddenly all of that seems to disappear for a moment. If you keep the members of your community happy, they will tell others about you and also come back for more themselves.

So load up your truck, hit the streets, and if you do it right…your customers might just come and find you.

Are there any other Social Media and Inbound Marketing lessons we can learn from the ice cream man?