Why is Marketing So Hard?
When the phone does not ring like its supposed to, more business owners are blaming it on the economy but it may be because essential business basics are not the priority. Let’s start with the essentials. Marketing is not about being funny or clever, it is about testing to see what works. My favorite marketing guru – Dan Kennedy has really put it into a form that makes sense to me. He says, “If your marketing is not working, 99% of the time it is because you did not follow this simple formula”.
The Formula is a Equilateral triangle ( all 3 sides are equal length)
Side 1 – Market: figuring out the who first. Not deciding to market after the product is done. Figure out the who first and then how do you reach them. Most business owners do this backwards. They read traditional stuff that says – do what you love and the money will follow–but what I love to do is watch TV (as many of you know) and eat Mexican food. That job is taken by the Taco Bell Chihuahua and even he got fired.
Focus on who is going to buy your product or service. Think through this one. Even at the telephone company – everyone needs a telephone right? Well, I was crazy trying to reach everyone. I didn’t have enough money to fight with the existing telephone carrier, the 33 other small ones like me and then Cable entered the market and I was doomed. I have to find a niche a target.
Once I found a target, then, I could consistently talk directly to them for less money. I could effectively reach a certain group that made us famous!
Side 2 – Message: Getting your message right. It should be focused and laser sharp so that your target market after reading your ad, hearing your presentation, walking into your store, will say – this is for me. Hey, it seems like they are talking to me. Since my target market is credit challenged customers, they typically have other challenges. They tend to borrow money from relatives to get them out of a bind. My radio commercial was a girl calling her aunt asking to borrow money. My customers would come in and say – I did that last week. My mother hated the commercial said it was demeaning however, my customer did not have a problem. Even my offices, they were not fancy in a fancy building. They were in a strip mall, or one was inside of a pay day loan company for years.
Side 3 – Media: This should be the last decision you make. Choose the media after you have determined your market and message. My customers were not readers so I had to figure out another way to reach them. There weren’t any magazines or newspapers that they read. So I chose radio.
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Small Biz Marketing Tips | Virtual Outsourcing Solutions on April 19th, 2010
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Great information! I’ve been looking for something like this for a while now. Thanks!
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Wow this is a great resource.. I’m enjoying it.. good article
TomPier on May 4th, 2010
great post as usual!
Dan O'Day on April 17th, 2010
Richelle –
Hallelujah! Someone who “gets” it.
One of the key tenets I teach is, “Successful advertising intersects common human behavior and experience.”
You nailed the common experience of your targeted listener.
I have a hunch your radio commercial also included a specific Call To Action — something missing from most.