Lately, I’ve run into several business owners who don’t understand why their business is not more successful than it is. After all, their current customers seem happy, they just don’t have enough of them (or more importantly, enough of the right ones).
What do these business owners have in common? Their refusal to market smart, or even to market at all.
Some believe that all they have to do is post on social media and the world will come knocking at their door (and, hey, it’s free!). Of course, how will the world know that you’re posting if they don’t know where to look for you or even that they should be looking at all?
Others believe that a single ad in the paper or on TV or radio will bring the masses in. Statistics will tell you that multiple exposures to your message are critical in order to make a first impression – let alone a buying decision. Some studies say that, in today’s society, 15 or more “touches” are what it takes to start to make that impression. And did you know that even many famous ads that you've seen or heard of haven't caused more than a 2% temporary bump in business, if any bump at all?
Truth be told, the key to successful marketing lies in the following steps:
1) Define your primary target market. (You may also have a strong secondary and even tertiary market to consider.)
2) Develop a message that resonates with that target market. One message does not necessarily apply to all markets. And messaging includes not only the wording, but the look or sound, as well.
3) Create a campaign that relays your message through several different media, depending on your target market. Consider a mix of direct mail, e-mail, social media, mobile marketing, promotional products, trade shows, web-driven, event-driven and more to reach the maximum number of people the most number of times without becoming annoying. No, I'm not saying do them all - choose the ones that make the most sense given your target market, goal and budget.
Remember, just because "everyone else is doing it" doesn't mean you should. Heck, it doesn't even mean it's actually producing results for "everyone else." If it doesn't make sense to you, consider another tactic.
When all is said and done, a successful marketing campaign should be an investment not an expense.
Are you marketing wisely?