| |
| |
|
Marketing Resource Center |
|
|
|
Are We There Yet?
Small business marketing is not like taking a family vacation. Did anybody take a family vacation this summer? Do you have children of your own, or do you remember what it was like when you were a kid taking a trip somewhere? I can still remember the family vacations as a youngster growing up. Our famous treks across America in the family station wagon or the rented RV, when the station wagon became impractical. Now with my own family we've taken some similar but generally smaller scale trips. It seems like one of the most asked questions from a child - "Are we there yet?" Or the other favorite is, "How much longer?" Even families that fly to their vacation destination I'm sure can relate. What does this have to do with marketing? I think sometimes (maybe many times) service business owners can become like that child in regards to their marketing. Are we there yet? How much longer? You work on a web site, or a brochure, or go to networking events and send out letters. Then you wonder when you're going to start getting results. When does the fun start? You know, the fun -- when prospects start calling and others refer and send business your way. And much like the family vacation, continual asking of are we there yet or how much longer often leads to unplanned stops or detours. You stop to work on other things because there is so much to do and it's sometimes hard to see how this marketing is going to work. Marketing shouldn't start and stop. Most people say they understand, even if their actions say differently, that marketing is an ongoing activity. Marketing isn't like a vacation where you have a final destination and then you stop traveling because you're there. Unfortunately, many small businesses get frustrated or burned out when they work on their marketing. They want to know, "how long this is going to take". Are we there yet? And far too many times, they abandon their marketing "campaign" because it wasn't getting them results and taking them where they wanted to go. But even worse than that, many times the "are we there yet" mentality didn't even let them finish planning or put the idea into action. Eventually they start planning, or maybe just take off on, another marketing trip. Once again, they start wondering how much longer it will be. Are we there yet? Marketing needs to be an ongoing, lifelong kind of journey for your business. It takes regular and consistent effort to keep your pipeline full of good, high-quality leads and to keep moving your prospects forward until they become paying clients. That means continuously marketing even when you have clients you're busy working with. Keep Moving On. The question "are we there yet?" needs to become "how do we keep going?" Yes, you do need to monitor results so you can assess how well things are working to get you where you want to go. When your measurements show you that something is working, keep doing it. In fact, do more of it. But you can also keep striving to reach new heights as well. How can you continuously improve even the things that are working to get even better, more consistent results? If you continue to ask the question, "Are we there yet?" you might just stall out on your journey. You see, eventually you'll discover some marketing strategies that will start to attract attention and generate the response you've been hoping for. It might seem like in fact, "you are there" and so you put the marketing on cruise control. How to keep moving forward. When you find yourself asking this most asked question, consider any or all of the following ideas to keep you continuously moving forward. Study up on marketing. There is no shortage of resources out there. You need to find them and begin consuming them. There are lots of books available on the subject. Look for the ones that offer proven, hands-on strategies and tactics. Remember, one or two good ideas now and then could make a significant difference to your business. Form or join a "think tank" or mastermind group. Find a group of people who care just as much about your success as you do, just as you'll care about their success. This is not a group of friends who will simply stroke your ego. Look for an honest group who will ask the tough questions and demand accountability from each other while supporting each others' efforts. Attend talks and workshops. If you go and participate fully, you'll often get just as much from the other participants as you will from the session itself. Get hands-on assistance. Working with a coach or marketing consultant who can help you focus, set goals, prioritize, create action plans and help hold you accountable could be an invaluable experience for your business. Support from outside resources like this can help you shift from a mindset of "are we there yet" to a mindset of "how can we keep going." They'll help you continue to see possibilities beyond where things currently stand in your business. (c) - Kevin Dervin, KPD Marketing About the Author: Kevin Dervin is focused on helping small businesses that are ready to grow, but struggle with how to consistently attract more clients. Visit http://www.proven-small-business-marketing-solutions.com for more great marketing information you can put to use in growing your business today. Find Kevin's Kansas City based KPD Marketing practice at http://www.ABCDgrowth.com and subscribe to his free ezine called ABCD Grow.
MORE RESOURCES:
Marketing - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Marketing On The Cheap: Join The What? Your local Chamber of Commerce.Now before you stop reading, I assure you this really works, and no, this is not an advertisement for the Chamber of Commerce although it may read like one. Hispanic Market Reality and Purchasing Power How many Hispanic people live in the US currently. Well there are 35. How to Avoid the Line Extension Trap If you follow the prevailing logic of most modern companies, you will inevitably fall into this trap. Line extension is using an existing brand name or image and extending it to new products. 10 Awesome Ways To Attract More Orders 1. Create a free ebook directory on a specific topicat your web site. 6 Article Marketing Smarts: How To Get More Reprints And Exposure Article marketing is the latest buzzword for marketers looking to promote their sites and products online. But how do you measure the success of your article marketing campaign? It probably depends on what you expect your article to achieve for you - better branding, more sales, or more publicity. Successful Non-for-Profit Fundraising Letters Share Eight Qualities You'll be encouraged to know that the art of writing effective fundraising letters can be learned. I learned it. Ten Ways to Market Your Business by Doing What You Love To Do Most business owners get so involved in the work of the business that there never seems to be enough time to do the necessary marketing. Even when business is good the owner must continue marketing because if he/she stops, the business eventually will stop too. The X Factor So you've invested more time than you ever believed possible on your website and in optimizing the pages for the search engines. Having sacrificed weekends and holidays, you've ensured that your site ranks in the Top 10. Business Card Design - How to Stand out and Get Noticed One of the most powerful, yet over looked weapons in yourmarketing arsenal is your business card. If designed properlythis little 3 x 2. The Top Seven Marketing Mistakes In my view, nearly all government statistics about reasons for business failures are nonsense.Undercapitalization, inexperience, or poor management are usually blamed for all business disasters. Develop Your Curiosity And Increase Profits If anyone was to ask me what my greatest strength was I'd say curiosity. The reason I would say that is because curious people learn a lot. Take the Test: Do Your Marketing Materials Really Grab Attention? Today's constant bombardment of marketing messages means your materials must grab your prospects attention in the first few seconds, or your efforts are wasted.How do you know if your marketing materials will prompt prospects to keep reading? Take this simple test: hold each of your marketing pieces at arm's length and answer the following questions:1. Marketing to the Affluent - with Wine With its association to an affluent, sophisticated lifestyle, wine can make a good accompaniment when marketing to an affluent audience. However, I am not talking here about ordering expensive wine at a client diner. Five Cheap Tricks for Promoting Your Business If you're like me, you're always looking for ways to promote your business - without spending a ton of money. Well, you're in luck. Discount Promotional Items - How to Save Money It takes money to make money is an adage we hear everyday in the business world. So, when it comes to getting promotional items, you've got to budget for it. Developing a Contact List- Part One One of the most essential things to successful networking is your Contact List. When you start a business, developing one is the first step in promoting and marketing your company. Online Mentorship Programs: Cash in on Your Expertise Whether you're a former retail store owner known for yourcreativity, a championship bridge player, or apsychotherapist with a long current waiting list foropenings, if you possess expertise that makes colleaguesand aficionados want your pearls of wisdom, you can createa new income stream with an online mentorship program.Such a program charges a fee for people to sit at your feetand learn from you. Shine a Spotlight on Your Professional Service Firm As a life-long dancer, I know a bit about the importance of good preparation before performance. Before a dancer is ready for the spotlight, she has to master the basics including alignment, strength, flexibility, balance, choreography, and artistry. The Battle of Positioning -- Altruism or Paranoia? Competition in the past has embodied such beliefs of "kill or get killed" which has fostered paranoia with many individuals and companies. Our competitive thinking has been to: defend, hoard, knock off competition, defame and win at any cost. Beyond Fear And Greed: Emotions That Sell Fear and Greed. The stock-in-trade of sales.
|
| home | site map | Advertising Articles |
| © 2006 |
