| Ever wonder why some marketing tactics work | | | | marketing tactics instead of helping you |
| for some businesses but not others? Maybe | | | | develop a marketing strategy. That's |
| you heard about a business that paints their | | | | probably because executing marketing tactics |
| company website's URL on the top of their | | | | is easy. Developing a marketing strategy can |
| delivery trucks and increased sales by 25%, | | | | be hard if you don't have direction.The |
| yet when you try the same tactic, sales | | | | basics of developing powerful marketing |
| remained flat.The reason most marketing | | | | strategies STEP ONE - Research, research |
| tactics fail is that they are not part of a | | | | researchThis is where you find out what you |
| comprehensive marketing strategy. A | | | | do not know. The more you know, the better |
| comprehensive marketing strategy helps you to | | | | your marketing strategy will be. Be certain |
| choose which tactics will work for your | | | | you define the following: |
| business and keep the sales coming in like | | | | |
| clockwork no matter what the economy.Defining | | | | |
| Marketing StrategyAfter 20 years of working | | | | |
| with businesses on creating advertising | | | | Your customersWhy do they buy from you?What |
| messages that deliver results, I've come up | | | | are they buying from you? (It may not be |
| with a few word pictures to try to help | | | | what you think!)What problems are they trying |
| clients better understand why we do the | | | | to solve?How old are they? What is their |
| things we do in advertising and marketing. To | | | | income? What is their level of education? |
| help clients get a handle on marketing | | | | What is their marital statues? Do they have a |
| strategy, I use the following illustration. | | | | religious preference? What is their comfort |
| | | | level with technology? Where do they live? |
| If you have ever gone fishing, you have | | | | Where do they work? What do they drive? How |
| probably realized that there is more to | | | | far do they drive?The list goes on and on. |
| fishing than merely baiting your hook, | | | | You simply cannot know too much about your |
| casting it into the water and reeling in | | | | customers.Your competitors |
| fish. The same is true in advertising.When I | | | | |
| was a child, I would take a fishing rod and | | | | Who are your competitors? Are they only in |
| reel -equipped with little more than a hook | | | | your industry? What is their USP (Unique |
| and a bobber - down to a creek behind our | | | | Selling Proposition)? Why do their customers |
| house. As I made my way to the creek, I dug | | | | choose them?You may be surprised to discover |
| up a few worms, and when I arrived at the | | | | your competition may not be another business |
| water's edge I impaled the unlucky creatures | | | | after all. Consider the car wash chain that |
| on my hook and tossed the line into the | | | | discovered their biggest competitor was their |
| creek.Because my goal was to catch | | | | own customer! Instead of focusing their |
| "anything," the only fish I ever caught were | | | | marketing messages on "on upping" other car |
| either carp or catfish and I didn't catch | | | | wash facilities, this chain changed their |
| those very often. I knew that the creek that | | | | focus and began airing messages to educate |
| ran behind my childhood home was teaming with | | | | their customers on the benefits of their |
| blue gill, bass and other "desirable" fish. I | | | | system over washing their cars at home. Once |
| knew because I saw other anglers stand in the | | | | this business recognized who their true |
| very spot I did and catch those very fish. | | | | competitor was and changed their ad copy, |
| However, despite my good intentions and all | | | | they began to see measurable results in the |
| of my efforts, the best I ever caught was an | | | | bottom line! STEP TWO - Determine the |
| occasional carp or catfish.Years later, I can | | | | problems your customer has and the solutions |
| see that the reason I was catching these | | | | you offer.Everyone has problems. Marketing |
| "bottom feeders" is that I had my hook lying | | | | is merely the act of bringing your solutions |
| on the bottom of the creek. The anglers who | | | | before the people who need it most and are |
| were bringing in the fish I desired weren't | | | | ready, willing and able to pay for it.The |
| using the huge hook I was using, nor were | | | | more you know about your customer, the better |
| they using earthworms for bait. (Nor, for | | | | you'll be able to showcase the solutions you |
| that matter, were they using an oversized | | | | offer that s/he is seeking. |
| orange bobber!) In my youthful exuberance, I | | | | |
| had over-estimated the depth of the waters | | | | STEP THREE - Determine the emotional |
| and seriously over-estimated the mouths of | | | | triggers that will ignite your sales. |
| the creek's "desirable" fish. No matter how | | | | |
| noble my goals, I was not fishing with the | | | | The act of buying is a complex and emotional |
| proper bait and tackle, so I could not catch | | | | decision. The reason your customer is making |
| the fish I desired.Experienced anglers know | | | | a purchase is not always readily apparent. |
| that choosing the proper tackle is essential | | | | While you may think that you are selling |
| before you begin to fish. You have to know | | | | candles, your customers may actually be |
| what fish you are targeting, because that | | | | buying: |
| determines everything else. By the time an | | | | |
| angler picks a target, s/he will have made | | | | |
| many decisions well in advance. The first | | | | |
| choice is whether to fish in fresh water or | | | | Emergency lighting |
| salt water. From there, the angler will | | | | |
| choose the weight of the line, the type of | | | | Aroma therapy |
| bait and the size of the hook.If you want to | | | | |
| be successful in fishing, you have to choose | | | | Ambiance |
| your target in advance. You have to develop | | | | |
| a "fishing strategy". | | | | Notice, not one of the customers above is |
| | | | buying candles. They are instead, purchasing |
| The same is true when you're fishing for | | | | a function of the candles.Find out why your |
| customers for your business.Using marketing | | | | customers are buying and you will be on your |
| tactics is like using bait when you fish. You | | | | way to marketing success.STEP FOUR - Creating |
| may be using a bait that is irresistable to | | | | a marketing strategy that delivers results! |
| sailfish on the open ocean, but when you're | | | | |
| sitting on a boat in the middle of a lake | | | | Now it is time to take the information |
| teaming with bluegill, your irresistable bait | | | | gathered in the first three steps to create a |
| won't result in catching very many | | | | precise marketing strategy for your business |
| fish.Marketing Tactics, when used to support | | | | or product. Once you recognize who your |
| a Marketing Strategy, can be powerful. | | | | potential customer is, you can begin to focus |
| However, when used haphazardly, they can | | | | your message on their wants, their needs and |
| actually hurt your business.There is no such | | | | their desires. A marketing strategy is simply |
| thing as a "magic marketing tactic" that | | | | a plan where you get your message in front of |
| works for everyone, every time. Yet, you'll | | | | the right people, those who want and need |
| find entire books focused solely upon | | | | your product or service. |