“Marketing scares me” says the white-haired gentleman sitting next to me at the seminar we are attending where the term marketing is mentioned in passing.
(should I mention to him that I eat and breathe it?)
“I can’t measure it. It’s expensive and I don’t know what to do,” he continues. “Last year, I got a quote from an agency and they wanted $5,000 for a marketing plan!” Now he’s getting visibly upset.
I’ve been one of those agencies providing that estimate. I think to myself, if only we could share the cost of that plan across several companies, it could be affordable. I look around the room and see the fun that everyone is having at this seminar - networking, debating, supporting one another and it dawns on me (aha!) marketing should be done in small groups. So that’s what I do.
Here are 5 reasons why marketing matters:
1. When you discover what works, you literally have struck gold. Sometimes it’s a newsletter, sometimes a speaking circuit is right for you. PR works well for some. It’s different for everyone, but if you never try, you never know. If you do, you own the secret.
2. Word of mouth is essential, but it doesn’t usually last forever unless you harness it. Like any portfolio, your best bet is to hedge — add 2 or 3 additional things you do beyond hoping for word of mouth (postcards, blogs, events, etc) — they may save your business.
3. Marketing lets your participate in your image and not let it be defined for you. I love the story of Cisco and the ownership they took for its brand (and its side) before they sued Apple. By the time they had participated in their own storymaking prior to the lawsuit they had so many followers and people who understood their story firsthand that the Apple lawsuit was a non-event.
4. If you can market (even a little), you have a competitive advantage over most “average” businesses (and you can probably learn to apply it to any business.)
5. It keeps you top of mind. If you have a plan for marketing, you know that you are always discoverable, getting in front of new customers when they are ready to buy and that you’re not missing new opportunities because buyers are unable to find you. Who doesn’t think of Geico for insurance and who gets the free privilege of a TV sitcom based on your campaign?
I’ve developed a checklist of essentials and, because I love creative ways of remembering and learning, the entire curriculum is encapsulated into 7 steps that spell:
T.V. OR B.E.E.R.
(Target, Value, Offers, Referrals, Brand buddies, Easy-engagement and Repetition)
This blog post will explore each area and discuss easy ways to execute in a way that will grow your business in a way that we know will work. We do this in person in our workshops. Come to one or request one in your city.
