As much as we all rely on referrals, sometimes word of mouth or network marketing is just not enough. That means you’re going to have to do some media marketing and/or advertising. Suddenly businesses aren’t just up against your competitors…You also have to convince people to spend their hard-earned cash at all.

Many entrepreneurs I work with spend almost all their time and energy creating, and then working in, their business. Some waste tons of time and money on tactics and materials that don’t create results. To the point that they forget to even think about growing their business until after they realize people just aren’t rolling through their doors or they lack making the monthly quotas. Many hire my firm to implement projects they can’t get to, don’t enjoy doing or just can’t do themselves.

Many businesses buy from the sales person pushing a certain mailer or someone who stopped in sold them an ad for a local event. They don’t really have a monthly budget or plan on where their ad money is going, it just goes as others ask them to participate rather than making an ad plan and sticking to it.

And just running an ad here or there, throwing up a brochure Website, or sending out an occasional postcard or letter isn’t going to do it. If you want your marketing to get results (IE leads, sales, new clients, etc.) you have to think it through and plan it out. Then market on a consistent basis.

7 Points to Ponder:

1) Your Target Market
Focus on the people who most want what you sell, and have the ability to buy. make a list, check it twice!

2) Give Them What They Want
Speak directly to your target market. Understand how your products and services can help them, (instead of what you think is most important). And you can create headlines that grab their attention, ads that make them want to know more, use graphics that command attention!

What’s going to make them jump to action?

3) Unique Selling Proposition- USP, Use it!
This is what makes your business, products, services or results different from the competition. Make sure it is TOTALLY clear why you are different.

4) Show Benefits
Most business owners focus their marketing on selling the features of their product or service (the size, shape, speed, power, time commitment, process, etc). But they forget to explain why they prospect should care. It should be TOTALLY about them!

5) The Purpose of the Piece
It’s not enough use marketing and advertising just to let people know about your business or what you’re selling. You need to know what each piece of marketing should do…And what the reader should do after reading it. Only then can you create a compelling “call to action” (“Call A to get B”, “Click here to learn more” etc.) telling them exactly what to do next. Then you can track it and see how that program generated or didn’t generate sales.

6) Consistancy!
Very few things can be sold effectively to all people on the first shot. Studies show people have to see your name, ad or promotion a minimum of 7 times just to notice it. Then likely another 7 or more times before they take action (assuming they’re even interested in what you’re selling in the first place).

Why? Because these days we are bombarded with information. Not only that, people are skeptical. So you have to get in front of them over and over to establish familiarity, then rapport, then desire, then trust, and finally get them to take action (which may not even be making a purchase). Your list should have a plan, contact 1- enews, contact 2-phone call, contact 3-press release, contact 4-thank you note, contact 5-personal call, contact 6-follow promotional item, contact 7-email blast….you get the idea…

7) Get Your Message Read—and Responded to
How much junk mail or email do you get that you never even open? And even when you do open it, how much of it do you actually read? Think first, how will it benefit them and keep trying new ways.

With email marketing programs you can see who opens your mail, who clicked thru to your site and you may be able to see patterns that will help you develope materials that your clients are looking for and ultimately what they NEED to buy from you.

My Best,
Kathy Kane
Market Insights, LLC