Often, the reason people hate their marketing is because of bad expectations.
I was recently invited to speak at the Boone County Home and Business Expo in Lebanon, IN on Digital Marketing. The video and article is an excerpt of my opening talk on what marketing can and can’t do as a whole. It is an important concept for anyone to understand before they invest in marketing.
Marketing CAN…
…Help People Know You Exist
This is probably the most essential power of marketing. After all, no one can buy from you if they don’t know you exist, right? While this may seem obvious, many people overlook this basic objective. The reason for this is that the ultimate goal is to get sales, but jumping straight to sales can hurt your marketing. You don’t always know how ready to buy your market is, so starting with a focus on getting the word out is the fastest way to find out if your market is ready to buy.
…Communicate Your Value
Once people know about you, you have to explain the value of your products or services. Sometimes this is possible in the same ad or message you use when you letting people know you exist, but sometimes it requires a next step, like asking people to call or visit your website to learn more. Either way, if your market doesn’t have a clear path to learning about your value, and what makes you different, they won’t be very motivated to do business with you.
…Give People an Incentive to Try
Coupons, special offers, and demos are all great ways to give people an incentive to try your products or services. You can talk all you want, but consumers usually want the proof before they jump in. It is critical that you make it easy for people to sample or experience some part of your product or service before they have to make a buying decision.
…Listen to Your Customers
The biggest “change” that Digital Marketing has brought to the industry is the ability to hear your customers talk back to you…
