As a veteran marketer, I’ve heard it again and again “I’ve tried direct mail (or newspaper advertising, or television, or press releases, etc….), it just doesn’t work for our business." While the sheer numbers of times I’ve heard that phrase uttered makes me want to bounce off the nearest wall, instead, I do my best to switch to my role of coach to guide my client to a clear understanding that will serve them better going forward.
First, it's important to remember that if you begin with a faulty premise you’re going to end up with a faulty conclusion.
Unfortunately, the premise that the marketing tactic that is chosen is THE ONE determining factor in the success or failure of a promotion is about as widespread, and as faulty, as they come.
This faulty premise has largely taken hold over the last 2-3 decades, during a time when huge companies have opted for mass advertising to increase the name recognition of their “brands,” rather than compel audiences to some sort of immediate action. This would be like a farmer who scatters a ton of seed haphazardly over their uncultivated fields. Then, having their field workers harvest all the crops. They may be pleased with the result, but because there is no accountability for results from specific fields, they have no idea which seed was wasted or which seed could have produced an even larger crop had greater care been given to the process. In other words, when you do the right thing the wrong way, you're going to come up short. Even when a profitable outcome masks the deficiencies of the process, there is an unseen cost to the result that could have been.
In order to correct this premise and transform your revenue generation, I recommend focusing on these 5 key criteria:
1) Audience
Who, specifically, are you aiming your message at? Who are you in business to serve?
2) Market Conditions
Are there any timely market conditions, positive or negative, that could influence results?
3) Message
Have you used the AIDA formula to attract an audience for your message and compel them to action?
4) Media
Are your ads, posts or other marketing content in the publications or on the channels or sites where your audience frequents?
5) Offer
For less expensive products, do you have a highly attractive offer that will convert interest to sales? OR, for a higher priced product or service, do you have a "soft yes" optin or "sticky content" that enables you to create a fishing pool of hot prospects to build a “know you, like you, trust you” relationship with and convert to future sales with continued information and well-timed offers?
It’s much like deep sea fishing. If you've decided what you're fishing for you can position yourself in the right place, at the right time, with the right bait. If you get any one of those key ingredient wrong, you’ll be spending a very long, boring day out on the water without much to show for it.
And, if you really know what you’re doing, you’ll “chum” for your fish ahead of time. By doing so, you, in essence, create your own little "stocked pond" in the middle of the ocean. Then, when you cast your line with the real bait, you’ll create a feeding frenzy fighting to take your line and be reeled in.
So, next time you find yourself thinking that certain tactics don't work for your business, take a moment to evaluate HOW you're executing before you cross it off your list of potential sales generators.
First, it's important to remember that if you begin with a faulty premise you’re going to end up with a faulty conclusion.
Unfortunately, the premise that the marketing tactic that is chosen is THE ONE determining factor in the success or failure of a promotion is about as widespread, and as faulty, as they come.
This faulty premise has largely taken hold over the last 2-3 decades, during a time when huge companies have opted for mass advertising to increase the name recognition of their “brands,” rather than compel audiences to some sort of immediate action. This would be like a farmer who scatters a ton of seed haphazardly over their uncultivated fields. Then, having their field workers harvest all the crops. They may be pleased with the result, but because there is no accountability for results from specific fields, they have no idea which seed was wasted or which seed could have produced an even larger crop had greater care been given to the process. In other words, when you do the right thing the wrong way, you're going to come up short. Even when a profitable outcome masks the deficiencies of the process, there is an unseen cost to the result that could have been.
In order to correct this premise and transform your revenue generation, I recommend focusing on these 5 key criteria:
1) Audience
Who, specifically, are you aiming your message at? Who are you in business to serve?
2) Market Conditions
Are there any timely market conditions, positive or negative, that could influence results?
3) Message
Have you used the AIDA formula to attract an audience for your message and compel them to action?
4) Media
Are your ads, posts or other marketing content in the publications or on the channels or sites where your audience frequents?
5) Offer
For less expensive products, do you have a highly attractive offer that will convert interest to sales? OR, for a higher priced product or service, do you have a "soft yes" optin or "sticky content" that enables you to create a fishing pool of hot prospects to build a “know you, like you, trust you” relationship with and convert to future sales with continued information and well-timed offers?
It’s much like deep sea fishing. If you've decided what you're fishing for you can position yourself in the right place, at the right time, with the right bait. If you get any one of those key ingredient wrong, you’ll be spending a very long, boring day out on the water without much to show for it.
And, if you really know what you’re doing, you’ll “chum” for your fish ahead of time. By doing so, you, in essence, create your own little "stocked pond" in the middle of the ocean. Then, when you cast your line with the real bait, you’ll create a feeding frenzy fighting to take your line and be reeled in.
So, next time you find yourself thinking that certain tactics don't work for your business, take a moment to evaluate HOW you're executing before you cross it off your list of potential sales generators.
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