Jun 05 2012
Three Marketing Lessons
If you’re like most business owners you’ve probably put tons of time into marketing activities.
This is true for all service-based entrepreneurs.
However, marketing is not all about time spent!
It’s also about the methods you use and the messages you put out.
Unfortunately you can easily rack up many hours and get little results.
You can also do damage and lose ground by having a poor message or poor tactics.
I am reminded of the old adage, “You can only make a first impression once!”
The solution is to have a good marketing plan. This is essential, and yet most people don’t know how to do it or don’t spend the time.
Most of my clients who contact me about marketing help, want a magic tool. They would be thrilled to follow a formula if they could just find it.
I wish it was that easy. However, there is no magic marketing plan that will work for every kind of business, because not only is every business different, but each of you have your own unique goals and message.
A marketing plan is not something you do once and you’re done. It’s constantly updated to reflect your business new goals.
Just like there is really no such thing as one-size-fits-all in clothing, this also doesn’t exist in marketing, regardless of what someone wants to sell you.
There are almost 100 different marketing tactics and you have to know what’s right for your specific business.
Here are three marketing mistakes I have seen over and over from people who have no plan.
1. Getting influenced by a savvy salesperson who has a great advertising deal for you. I know someone who almost spent $750 on putting posters at fitness centers. Once we analyzed her business she realized that her niche clients were not likely hanging out at those places.
2. Spending a bundle of money on a new website before you know who your niche client is. Your website needs to be about and directed to your niche clients, and your decisions will be based on who they are and what you want to communicate to them. So, figure that out first!
3. Without a plan you will fall into the trap of self-promotion whenever you talk about your business. When you aren’t sure what else to say, your default will always end up being about yourself and your programs. However marketing needs to be about your niche clients, not yourself.
A good marketing plan begins with analyzing your own business. This includes:
• Identifying your niche market.
• Defining your specific goals.
• Knowing your core marketing message.
• Determining where your niche hang-out.
Once you have done these things it will be easier to create your plan.
Struggle no more! Begin your marketing plan. Check out my summer marketing plan special!
Have you ever made those three marketing mistakes above? I know I have!
Free Easy Marketing Plan Training – June 14th
You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this topic
to be really something that I think I would never understand.
It seems too complicated and extremely broad for me.
I am looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!
It is a simple concept but not easy to get. It took me months to really understand it and then it was one of those aha moments and I began to get it on a deeper level. The most important thing is to really know who your niche clients are and talk about their problem and the benefits they want. If you do that one thing it will make a huge difference.
My programmer is trying to persuade me to move to .
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on a variety of websites for about a year
and am worried about switching to another platform.
I have heard very good things about blogengine.
net. Is there a way I can import all my wordpress content
into it? Any help would be greatly appreciated!