| |
| |
|
Marketing Resource Center |
|
|
|
No One Gives A Damn About Your Business. Unless You Give em A Reason To
The good news is that there are thousands of people looking for what you offer. The bad news is that those people are extremely tough to attract not to mention that your very livelihood depends on it. It's a scary thought when you think about it. And many don't. Some are simply ignorant to the marketing realities. For others the expense and complexity associated with any kind of formal marketing effort is simply too intimidating. They rely souly on word-of-mouth. The fact is, word-of-mouth is great, fabulous, wonderful and not enough if you're serious about growing your business. Do You Believe in Marketing? Do you see marketing as a necessary investment or a questionable expense? It's an important question because if you don't truly believe in the power of smart marketing you'll sabotage anything you try...like driving with the brake on. Marketing done well is an investment and there's no better investment than your business. Determine your Objective and Budget. Like any investment it involves planning and patience. You start by establishing a realistic objective and then determine what it takes to achieve it. That takes the analysis of several factors such as: o the industry you're in o the maturity of your business. o the specific product or service being offered. o the target audience. o the competitive environment. o timing. So, what does it all cost? Again, it depends on what your short and long term goals are. For some, 5% of annual sales may be plenty to invest. For others 10% may not be enough. Once you determine your goal it's easier to determine the budget you need to achieve it. Good vs. Great vs. Do-It-Yourself. "Good" marketing isn't good enough. "Good" marketing, which is most of what you see, does only half the job. It informs people but doesn't touch them emotionally. And if you don't touch them emotionally they won't buy your product. It doesn't matter if you have the best product or service in the world if you're not getting your prospects excited enough to act. Some business owners decide to take on the marketing challenge themselves. A few even treat it as child's play. One potential client actually asked me my opinion of something his 10-year old came up with. Needless to say we weren't a good fit. Most business owners realize they aren't marketing experts. The problem is they just aren't sure who is. A common mistake is the assumption that the people who do a logo or brochure can also create a great ad or effective marketing effort. I was once asked about a campaign created by a company's design firm. Not surprisingly the campaign was totally void of a selling idea. Yet the client was clearly sold on it. When I asked the client what exactly he liked about the campaign he enthusiastically replied, "The green -- it's a real attention grabber!" The design firm may not have done a very good advertising job, but clearly they did an exceptional sales job. It's just a shame the client invested $800,000 in it. Measuring Effectiveness. A direct response mechanism (ie. phone number, web address, etc) is one way to track response. Of course, sales increase is usually the ultimate barometer. And when you combine a great product with a great marketing effort the effect can be obvious. For our client Sorrell Ridge Fruit Spread sales jumped 90% a month after the campaign broke. Though that was exceptional most clients can tell after a few months if the marketing effort is working. Get a Buzz. Buzz is another way to measure effectiveness. Are people noticing you and talking about you? Our client Marble Church knows about that. The attention-getting campaign got the attention of both local New Yorkers and national press. And with a limited marketing budget church membership increased 31% while web site traffic quadrupled. The campaign, which started out as an experiment, is now in its sixth year. So, despite the perceived expense and complexity of marketing you must appreciate the need and value of it. Done right it's the best way to make a lot of people give a damn about your business. © 2005 John Follis. All rights reserved. For John's booklet: "How to Attract and Excite Your Prospects: A Guide for Getting the Best Marketing Results", visit: http://www.follisinc.com/booklet.htm John Follis is one of the 12 "Best Advertising Minds of New York" as voted by The New York Ad Club. His campaigns are in 3 college textbooks, he has written for ADWEEK, and he has taught at 3 New York universities. Currently, John works on select projects, consults, and speaks. John may be reached at: john@follisinc.com For consulting info, visit: Marketing Therapy: http://www.follisinc.com/therapy.htm For speaking info, visit: Follis Speaking: http://www.follisinc.com/speaking.htm
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Connecting With Your Clients Many service professionals tell me that they are uncomfortable with the idea of marketing -- like marketing is a bad word! For some, "marketing" brings up images of telemarketers, aggressive sales people, and feelings of resentment at being invaded. But marketing is really about connecting with your customers. Digital Printing vs. Press Printing - A Comparison Guide When it comes time to print your brand identity materials, there's one overarching question for you to consider - whether to print the resulting materials on a digital printer or traditional press. There are many differences between the two processes, some of which are outlined below. Advertising Your Private Practice: Beware of the Problems-Part 1 One of the biggest mistakes coaches, counselors and other healing professionals make is to assume that they must advertise their private practice in order to get clients. These professionals often tell me they have spent a lot of money on advertising with minimal, if any, results. Standing Above The Crowd In today's highly competitive business environment it is critical to find ways to separate yourself from the other companies who sell the same - or similar - product and/or service. Here are several strategies that can help you accomplish this:Help your clients achieve their goals. How To Market A Seminar Have you ever left a seminar thinking: "I could have done a better job than that!" Before you start signing up attendees, take a few minutes to think about what you are getting into. Putting on a seminar involves planning, time, and money. Niches - The Path to More Profits Hey, as business owners we CAN'T be all things for all customers.I mean it would be fantastic if we could, however, you just can'tmeet the needs and wants of everyone, you would run yourselfragged trying :o(BUT . Dear Friend: Dont Start Your Non-For-Profit Fundraising Letters As A Stranger Dear Friend:Don't do it.Don't start your fundraising letters with "Dear Friend. Private Practice Marketing: 3 More Things I Wish I Knew When I First Started 1) Create systemsCreate systems for everything you do, especially those things you do on a regular basis.My members and mentees ask me all the time how do I manage to get so much done. 4 Alternative Ways To Gain Lifetime Customers You will always have more people that turn downyour offer than actually buy. They might not havebought because of your price, payment options,or any other possible reason. Increase Sales With Travel Incentives Today's business environment has changed dramatically over the past 10 years, it can be a tough task to make a sale. Just being aggressive doesn't cut it any longer. Calling All Carbon-Based Lifeforms Many businesses want to market to all carbon-based life forms. They won't take the time to really understand their audiences from geographic, demographic and psychographic perspectives. Build Relationships Personal marketing makes it easier to sell, by building relationships nurtured on awareness, value and trust. Make your relationships more fruitful by making them personal. Spice It Up! Rib Festival Teaches Us About Product Value The Rib America Festival is a fun filled family event featuring award winning BBQ and live entertainment from national, regional and local talent. Each rib cooker features their very own special cooking strategy and recipes that make for a truly unique food festival experience. Finding a Brochure Printing Company A brochure can be a great promotional tool, whether it is for is a real estate listing, a trade show handout, a data sheet, or some other application, but sometimes it's hard to know where to start. Brochure printing companies can provide their expertise as well as a wide range of printing and marketing services. Good News Travels Fast This newsletter is full of opportunities staring you in the face. If you don't believe me, write and tell me so--and by doing that you'd be proving me right. 10 Important Steps to Mail Order Success There are a number of difficulties a beginning entrepreneur may encounter that can "torpedo" his business almost before he knows it. But the wise mail order dealer can sidestep some of the pitfalls of operating his own business by recognizing and avoiding the following common mistakes. Go Guerrilla Jay Conrad Levinson coined the term guerrilla marketing, which I define as low-cost, creative and typically self-implemented public relations techniques.Here are a few thoughts that might spawn some ideas for your own business. 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. Consider Consumer Psychology In your marketing efforts, be they on or offline, it's wise to consider the psychology of the consumer you are targeting. If you've done your homework you've developed a profile of your ideal customer and how your unique selling point speaks to them. How Would You Handle This? We have been talking about choosing groups to participate in that meet your needs and goals as a business professional. Once the decision is made on which groups to belong to, then a certain level of participation is required in order to achieve the individual goals set by the business professional.
|
| home | site map | Advertising Articles |
| © 2006 |
