No More Random Acts of Marketing

My family and I have just come back from the cabin. Blissful days spent doing nothing but sharing time together, in nature. Our cabin is completely off the grid, on an island in the middle of the lake. We have to bring in everything and I don’t get great cell reception (another reason I love it there). Being so far away from the mainland means I can’t run out to the store for something I forgot. Now, you might think that’s a nuisance but I find it helps me be present in the moment. The best part - I expend A LOT less energy.

When you perform random acts of marketing you’re also expending more energy than you need to. You’re scattered and definitely not centered. Never a good thing when making any business decisions. 

Plus, no one is reading the stuff you post at 2 am. You’re definitely not making an impact helicoptering into networking events to drum up some last-minute business. And when your network only sees you every 6 months, you don’t stay top of mind. 

I’m going to share some marketing tools you can use to feel just like I do when I get back from the cabin - centered, grounded, clear, ready to go. 

When I first start working with clients they generally ask the same things. Should I start running Facebook ads? Do I need to add a blog to my website? Nine times out of ten I take them right back to the beginning. To my top 3 marketing tools. And we go from there. 

Now, when I say marketing tools you probably think I’m going to tell you about the best social media apps to use. Or how to write a radio ad or book a billboard. Yes, those are important questions, but you’re getting ahead of yourself :) 

Marketing tool #1 - Your niche market

To get laser-point effectiveness, it’s all about focusing on target markets. Too wide a net, you don’t catch anyone, too small a net, you also come up empty. Having the right focus will ensure your net is full. 

• Never pick just one. You don’t want to put all your focus in one direction and then they’re not right for you. 
• Pick groups that are big enough that there’s enough business for you, but small enough that you can become their go-to.
• Think about who in your existing network could be champions for your business within those niche markets and start figuring out how you can be a champion for them. This is a massive step you can take toward leveraging better relationships that will be beneficial to both of you. 

Marketing tool #2 - The best message for your niche markets

You have 10 seconds to get your ideal market’s attention - 95% of the time a qualified opportunity is lost simply because of poor messaging. Take time out to craft a compelling message that you know will reach that niche you’ve identified. 

• Pinpoint what you do for your niche markets and figure out a way to communicate that to them.
• Tell them about the way you’re going to solve their problems. Most professionals focus on the wrong things - they spend too much time talking about the product or service they’re selling and not enough time focusing on and talking about the solution their business provides.

Marketing tool #3 - Picking the right marketing channels 

Doing too many of the wrong things is slightly better than not doing anything at all. However, business owners who strategically choose the right vehicles (and messages) get a supermajority of the opportunities compared to their competitors.

Once you’ve figured out who you’re fishing for (niche markets) and what bait you’re going to use (your message), you can pick the watering holes you’re going to frequent (marketing channels). 

• Think about where your audience is and go there. Are they using Facebook or LinkedIn? Are they outside your trading area or can you connect with them in person? Maybe there’s a specific networking event or trade show you can frequent to create bonds with your niche market? 
• Pick one or 2 things you know you can do consistently throughout the year to become known amongst that group and then do it all year round.
• There is a delicate balance between marketing online (Facebook, Google Adwords, website, blogs) and offline (introductions, presentations, networking, etc.). Effectively balancing both strategies gets you prospective clients from both segments. Being out of balance means you are likely leaving opportunities on the table.

And that’s it! Easy as 1, 2, 3. Well, mostly. 

We’re all hopefully coming back from summer holidays feeling renewed, which is the best time to refocus and dial in on the fundamentals. Just remember to stay consistent. If you feel yourself falling back into the bad habit of marketing in a random way, come back to this list. Or better yet, join me on my 8-week Rethink Marketing Program, kicking off again at the end of the month. Learn more here: 

Rethink Marketing - From Crickets to Conversions