As a small business owner, I find marketing lessons and inspiration everywhere. Recently, my marketing mind kicked into high gear when I heard the musical siren song of the ice cream truck driving down my street around 5 p.m. It literally only rolls through my neighborhood once or twice a year. Not surprisingly, not one kid came running to buy a Bomb Pop.

Initially, I had flashbacks of Eddie Murphy’s hilarious-but-profanity-laced “ice cream man” stand-up comedy routine from the 80s. (Here’s a G-rated snippet: “There’s something about the ice cream truck that makes kids lose it. And they hear it from 10 blocks away. They don’t hear their mother calling them. But they hear that ice cream truck. ICE CREAM!”)

But then I started thinking from a marketer’s perspective about the audience, timing, frequency, trust, and loyalty.

Marketing Lessons: Master the Basics

While I watched the ice cream truck drive down the street, I scooped up a few marketing lessons that seemed obvious to me. But then I remembered that, while a lot of companies offer great products and services, they don’t always have a firm grasp on marketing fundamentals. No matter the size of your business, no matter your product or service, you’ve got to master these marketing basics if you want your business to thrive.

Know your audience

Kids still love ice cream. That hasn’t changed. But sadly, it’s really hard to find a group of kids playing outside anymore. So go where they gather—at local parks, at soccer fields, at basketball courts. Show up at weeknight practices and games. Make Saturday afternoons at the park part of the regular route. Go where kids go. Marketing lesson: Know your audience and stay nimble to change with the times.

Pay attention to timing

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Frequency matters

Not only is there no predictable schedule for this ice cream truck (say, every Tuesday at 3 p.m.), it literally rolls through just once or twice a year. Customers need to know when and where to find you on a regular basis. Think of food trucks, most with no brick-and-mortar home-base. They often have websites or at least social media pages where you can follow them and find where they’re headed next. Plus, they regularly band together at community spots and events, making it easier for customers to find them. Even if they’re not at the same location on the same day at the same time every week, they’re consistently out in the community and give customers easy access to their schedule. Marketing lesson: Marketing requires a frequent, consistent, long-term effort.

Establish trust

What parents in today’s society would let their kids run up to a truck full of strangers peddling ice cream? While showing up at the right place for regularly scheduled visits is key, that’s just part of it. Get to know your customers beyond the fact that they’re standing in front of you with a few bucks in hand. Address them by name, discover their likes and dislikes, ask them questions, and address their concerns. When you interact with customers on a regular basis, they feel comfortable buying from you. That’s what building trust is all about. Marketing lesson: Develop and grow relationships with customers to establish trust.

Build loyalty

Because of the poor timing and infrequent visits, kids aren’t familiar with the ice cream truck’s come-hither music. And I don’t even remember seeing a company name on the truck. Where’s the fan base? Where’s the brand recognition? Where’s the relationship? By doing all of the above and getting to know your customers, you’re golden. When you greet little Olivia by name when she walks up to your window, she feels good. When you remember that she likes a vanilla/chocolate swirl with extra sprinkles, you make her smile. When you make customers feel good and smile, you win them over. They will seek you out over the competition. That’s building loyalty. Marketing lesson: Know the audience, pay attention to timing and frequency, and establish trust in order to build loyalty.

Look around you. What marketing lessons are you learning from “the ice cream truck” or other businesses?