I thought I would clarify some misconceptions about marketing in this two-part series: what marketing can do for you and what the market can do for you. This topic is about what the market can not do.
While no doubt a solid marketing program can enhance your business, can not fix everything. Here are 5 things that the market can not do for you:
1. Marketing can not make an immediate success. The fact that you start a marketing program does not mean it will immediately see your business explode. Marketing is about getting your name in front of your target market on a regular basis until he finally decides to give him a chance.
On that note, if you're in trouble right now - sales are down, a new company is not off the ground as you planned - depending on the severity of the problem is a marketing program may not be enough to save you. A successful marketing program takes time to work and it is more likely than not, a bit of money too. If you are near a panic (or more likely both) may have to start looking for other options.
2. Marketing is not about doing something once and forget it. The very best test marketing. And the test. And the test.
For example, perhaps your website is converting visitors to customers, as it should be. You can hire an editor to modify it for you. You can try the different elements to see what you raise your level of conversion. That's one way to use the test. You can also test different headlines, different offers, etc.
3. Marketing can not fix a bad experience. This is a big one. If your clients have a bad experience with their products or services or their customer service representatives or sales people, etc, that's all. Worse, not only lost a customer forever, that customers will probably tell others about their bad experience. So now he has lost more potential customers.
Marketing can make people in the door but can not assure that will have an experience you will want to repeat. Before taking over marketing is what you need, take a moment to make sure their current customers are really satisfied with their business.
4. Marketing can not fix a flawed business. Like Tip number 3, the market can not solve cash flow problems or personal problems.
Okay, I can hear you all saying: "Of course, the market can not solve cash flow problems. You think we're stupid?" My answer is no, I do not think you're stupid at all. I think what happens is sometimes so caught up in day to day challenges of running a business can not see the forest for the trees.
Let me explain. Say you have a business that is struggling with cash flow. The first thing that comes to mind may be the acceleration of commercialization. After all, the idea behind marketing is to increase revenue. On the surface it makes sense. However, if you look a little closer, so you can find are expenses that are out of control or not leave bills in a timely manner. So what should be fixing their problems is accounting rather than changing their marketing.
5. Marketing can not make people buy things that either will not or can not afford. No matter how great your product or service is, if you are selling to people who either have no interest or the means to buy, marketing will fail no matter how brilliant it is.
So basically it comes down to it, before deciding if you need more marketing, take a moment and make the marketing is really the right solution for your business.
Creativity Exercise - Reality Check
Before embarking on a marketing program, take some time to analyze what actually happens in your business. Do you really need a marketing program or is your problem:
* Not able to close the tracks that has
* Not timely billing and follow up with unpaid bills
* Your customers are not happy with the product or service
* Your customers are having a bad experience with technical support or something more in the process is not working
* Its target market is not correct
* They are passionate about what he is doing and
* Expenses Your company has too many ways
And so on. Basically, I just want to make sure that marketing really is your problem before you start tinkering with it.
If you want to grow your business, then you should always be marketing your business. But if you're using marketing as a priest for some other problem, then you could be headed for trouble.
0 comments:
Post a Comment