| |
| |
|
Marketing Information |
|
|
|
The 5 Musts of Marketing
For most of the small business owners I work with, marketing has become the equivalent of a four-letter word. Inevitably, when I ask the question, "Do you have a marketing plan?" or "What marketing activities do you engage in?" I get the full gamut of responses from the proverbial deer in the headlights stare, to a vociferous, "I hate marketing, it's the least favorite part of my business!" After years of witnessing this reaction, and learning a bit about modern marketing, I'm starting to understand why traditional marketing is perceived and experienced as a necessary evil and avoided like a root canal. It's been true since the beginning of commerce that every business needs to promote itself to stay alive and compete in an ever-changing marketplace. How great would it be if you, as a savvy business owner, could begin to make a shift from seeing marketing, and its associated tasks, as a necessary evil to a rich and rewarding opportunity to express your passion about your business? It would be pretty great, wouldn't it? While I don't mean to reduce a vibrant and ever evolving profession to any-one-can-do-it status, the mystique around marketing can certainly use some lightening up. I do believe anyone can become an effective and enthusiastic marketer. Let's start to explore by dispelling some of the common mystique around marketing. I used to believe that marketing was a complex practice for which you had to pay a lot of money to a professional to "do it right". I used to think I had to convince people using tactics that were high pressure or not in alignment with my values. No wonder marketing fell to the bottom of my list. Is it at the bottom of yours? Here's what I've learned, and here's what works for me. In its simplest form, marketing is about building relationships and networks. It offers an opportunity to communicate to people (your customers) what you do and introduce or expose them to your product again and again. As Michael Pollock, my marketing guru taught me, "Forget marketing, think conversations". That's easy, now all I have to do is position myself and create opportunities to engage people about that which I love. I can do that. Shift accomplished! Here are The 5 Marketing Musts that transformed me from an Avoider to an Engager: 1. Define your customers. With whom do you want to build relationships? Start by specifically identifying who will buy your products and focus on them. In "marketing speak" this is called your target market. It is critically important to identify your target market so you don't spend time and money haphazardly conveying your message and building relationships with non-buyers. Here's some criteria you can use to identify your ideal customers: Age, profession, gender, level of education, income, ethnicity, location, psychological needs (feels frustrated, wants security, wants to feel challenged, etc.) personal interests (committed to personal development, reads avidly, spiritually inclined, etc.) and what are their psychographics (how do they think, what is their world view, their values, etc.). Create a profile of your perfect customer. 2. Promote yourself. In real estate it's location, location, location. In marketing it's promote, promote, promote. Find ways to get yourself in front of your customers regularly and repeatedly. Visibility creates opportunity. You need to be in front of your customer at least seven times for your message to stick. Visibility also creates credibility. Relationships are built on trust. The more opportunities you have to demonstrate your credibility, the more likely a customer will buy from you. 3. Position yourself. What do you stand for in the mind of your customer? Positioning is about "owning" the groove in your customers mind when it comes to your product. The Dollar Store, for example, is positioned so when you need to purchase a product inexpensively, you think Dollar Store. Your marketing message should be clear, targeted, consistent and designed to position you in the forefront of your customers mind. 4. Become known as a recognized expert in your field. There are many other businesses out there vying for your customers' attention. Become the first business that pops into your customers' minds. Make sure the reason you pop into your customers' minds is because you've built positive and credible relationships. Here are a few ways to develop yourself as an expert: Publishing. Write and submit quality articles to local and Internet publications (Just like the one you're reading now!) Or, you can self publish a monthly newsletter to keep yourself in front of your customers. Even if you think you can't write (like I did when I started my business) find ways to communicate. Hire an editor if you have to. Public Speaking. A great way to position yourself in front of an audience of potential customers. The options might be civic organizations, local associations, or community events. Public speaking can often inspire terror when suggested, it certainly did in me. Practice built my confidence and the benefits I've received from moving out of my comfort zone has paid off in many ways. Start small, be you, connect with the passion of your message. Join networking groups. This is a great way to connect with many people on a regular basis. Most network groups are filled with participants in the same boat as you. Not only do they provide an opportunity to be in front of people, they can be a tremendous source of support. If you want to really go for it, volunteer for a leadership position. It will quickly increase your visibility as well as boost your credibility. 5. Evaluate what's working, what's not working, and adapt accordingly. Clearly it takes time and consistency for any marketing effort to pay off. Don't give up too soon. At the same time, marketing is a process of learning what works for you and your particular business. Don't let your marketing plan get stale. Remember, marketing is about building relationships, and creating opportunities for you to express the passion you feel about your product or service. Make a plan and stick to it. Developing a simple marketing plan can be as straight forward as deciding what people you want your message to reach and determining the best vehicles to use. If you work with these Marketing Musts, you're well on your way to establishing a marketing plan. It can be that easy. I'll leave you with these questions: Why are you in business? What do you love about your product or service? Do you feel inspired when you're at the top of your game and offering the best of what you do to the world? If so, go out there and create opportunities to do more of that. That's all marketing is. Can you feel the shift? It's YOUR life...live it completely! Helaine is a professional coach and writer, who has been featured in numerous publications, including "O" The Oprah Magazine. She helps entrepreneurs and professional women accelerate their professional success, while achieving a more complete and fulfilling personal life. She combines a broad range of professional experience in her work, including management positions in the education, training, retail and international non-profit sectors. For a free consultation, contact her at 603-357-8546 to discuss how she can help you accelerate your own success. You may also visit her website, http://www.pathofpurpose.com, for additional information, or email your questions to helaine@pathofpurpose.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
Milwaukee Mile back on IndyCar schedule, Andretti-led group to promote June 16 ... - Washington Post
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Marketing Gurus : Do You Need One? Its become fashionable to bash marketing "gurus" nowadays.There are some for whom the prospect of even looking at someone as a "guru" is a sin. Getting Your Services Used Every day I talk with professional service providers who do great work, have a valuable service that really helps people?and struggle to get their services used as much as they'd like.They get a lukewarm response after an initial conversation while networking, the referrals come in but don't convert to real business as often as they'd like, and they can't seem to get prospects to see them as that much better than other professionals offering similar services. The Advantage to Buying Promotional Products Online Buying your promotional products and corporate apparel online provides five major advantages: a greater selection, better pricing, convenience, customer service, and faster ordering time.Manufacturers often display their entire line of products on the internet, providing you with a greater selection of products. Effective Lead Generation How to Gain your Prospective Clients' Attention and Generate the Leads You Need to Make Your Business a SuccessIf you've ever tried to get a child who is engrossed in their favorite video to do another task you know you must first get their attention. Often the best way to do this is to use their name so they realize you are speaking directly to them. More Marketing Dope Direct marketing can make you very successful, but you've got to understand the basics. Here are some more gems of the industry that can take you from being a diamond in the rough to the luminous bling-bling. Top 10 Ways to Create and Manage Opportunity Most of us are used to the concepts of risk management or time management. Many of the same principles can be applied to creating and responding to opportunities. Stop Searching - Joint Ventures are the Solution to Doubling Your Business First, define the end user (or ideal client) of your product. Many times when I ask people who their ideal client is they will tell me "oh everyone can use my product!". To All Internet Marketers - How To Get My Business? More and more people are realizing that the Internet offers great potential to set up a healthy business for pennies on the dollar. This is good news for internet marketers - but it also means that they need to lift their game. Effective List Management Can Save You Big Let's talk about how to keep your postage costs down.So far you have been following my advice and mailing to the same list more than once. More Scams! Do you Really Believe It? Quit spreading those chain letters, nothing is going to happen to you if you don't mail it to the next person. However, there is a better chance that if you continue mailing, you may have the FTC on you. Marketing To Women Recent studies concerning the "new world of women" have been released. Some of the major findings may be surprising to you (less so if you are a woman). 3 Ways to Gain and KEEP Customers Using Postcards In today's competitive (sometimes cutthroat) marketplace, savvy business owners need to constantly look for ways to get and, more importantly, keep their customers. When used properly postcards offer a great opportunity to do both. Breaking The Voice Mail Barrier Even if you never place a cold call, you still have to reach people by phone. That customer who was so interested last month never called you back, and now you must call her. Four Simple Ways to Cut Your Trade Show Marketing Budget in Half Many times when a trade show is planned for there isn't someone who watches the budget and tracks where the money goes. But, if you do want to know where your trade show marketing dollar goes and want to do better, this article is for you. Focus...a Marketing Strategy The secret to increasing sales doesn't lie in choosing just the right marketing tactic for each of your businesses. The real problem that's experienced by many entrepreneurs--a damaging lack of focus. Ten Crucial Questions Ten Crucial Questions for Your Business Future I'm a business coach. I've worked with hundreds of small, medium and very large business, and over the course of the past eleven years, I've asked my business coaching clients endless questions which have helped them achieve much greater levels of success than they would have otherwise. Baby Boomers - Marketing to the Me Generation Unless you've been in a dimly lit cavern for the past several decades, you know that "Baby Boomers" is the collective name given to the 76 million people born in the United States between the end of World War II and 1964. Often described as the largest, most knowledgeable and most fiscally influential demographic group in American history, their motto could very well be: Where does a 750-pound gorilla sit? Anywhere it wants!Getting to Know ThemDubbed the "Me Generation" for their nonstop quest for self-gratification, many "Boomers" pride themselves on their counterculture values, for having led movements for social rights and environmental awareness. Why You Buy, Part Two More of the findings of the recent studies in behavioral economics:Webers LawA change of stimulus is more emotional and motivational, according to the base: Most subjects tested would drive across town to save $10 on a $20 item, for example, but not to save $10 on a $500 item. The lesson for sales people? If you won't lose a sale on a thousand-dollar couch over $10, sell the other benefits of the couch in your sales pitch. SWOT Analysis -- Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats When conducting strategic planning for any company -- online and/or offline -- it is useful to complete an analysis that takes into account not only your own business, but your competitors' activities and current industry happenings as well. A SWOT is one such analysis. Attracting Clients With Ease Whether you are already running your own business, or still thinking about starting your own business, I suspect that deep down you know you have gifts and talents that can really make a difference to others. In an ideal world, you'd spend the majority of time doing the work you love to do, with a steady stream of clients knocking at your door as and when you want them.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
