There are tons of different marketing tactics that are available for you to use and you get inundated with many “new” opportunities every week. How do you figure out if you should do a specific marketing activity or not?
Below are a few questions to ask yourself when confronted with a great, new, one-of-a-kind, stupendous, money-making, guaranteed marketing opportunity!
1) Will this marketing strategy actually reach your target market?
It goes without saying that any marketing you do needs to be aimed at your target market. That being said, we can still get wooed by a great talking sales rep! You want the marketing vehicle to be as specific as possible in targeting your target.
That’s why you need to really think hard about advertising in more broad-based mediums like magazines and newspapers. For example, you maybe don’t want to reach all financial planners but only those that specialize in legacy and inheritance issues.
Try to get into special supplements, inserts or sections that are particularly focused at your segment of the readership. This is key with these broad-based media vehicles because they also are usually quite expensive.
2) How frequently will your message be seen by prospects in your target group?
This is an important consideration when choosing any marketing activity because we’ve all heard it takes anywhere between 7 – 11 exposures to your message before people will react.
If you can only afford to run an ad in the newspaper, magazine or ezine once then it’s most likely not the best use of your money. Of course, you need to weigh the perceived credibility of the marketing vehicle and how much “bang you’ll get for your buck”. For example, one ad during Super Bowl may make sense if you’ve got the money – because of the number of people you’ll reach and the prestige of being on the advertisers during the Super Bowl is priceless.
So maybe you’ve got a great one-time opportunity to advertise in a big-name person’s workshop binder or new book they’re putting out. Just make sure that the value and exposure to your target group make the one-time price worth it.
Try to use marketing tactics that allow you to keep in contact with your prospects and clients frequently. That’s why email marketing and having a newsletter are such cost-efficient and effective marketing strategies.
3) Is this marketing tactic something you can do consistently?
One of the worst things people do with their marketing is to start something, do it for a little while and then abandon it when something else grabs their eye. To reap the most benefits (read: profits and great relationships) you need to choose marketing tactics that you can do consistently and in that way build the relationship with your prospects and customers.
When evaluating a new strategy figure out if you’ve got the time, money and sometimes most importantly – the interest in doing it on a consistent basis. For example, don’t start a weekly ezine unless you can dedicate an hour each week to writing it. You don’t want to send a message to your prospective clients that you can’t be reliable and “stick” with something.
Next time you’re told about THE newest, best marketing activity that you MUST try, step back and take a few minutes to ask yourself these 3 questions. It will make marketing easier and less stressful for you and also for your prospects!
About The Author
Jody Gabourie, The Small Business Marketing Coach, teaches small business owners and entrepreneurs how to take action with their marketing in order to get more results and more profits. To learn all about her unique “done-for-you” ebooks called Ready Made Marketing Plans™ and to sign up for her FREE special report, ezine and articles, visit her site at http://www.JodyGabourieMarketingCoach.com
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