We’re all familiar with the “who-actually-falls-for-this-stuff” SPAM and we all know its complete bogus.

Or the ones that actually warn you they’re SPAM in the subject line, what is up with that? Is their honesty and up-frontedness supposed to catch me off guard and make me want to open it?

I think you get the point. Hilarious, right?!?

But what about the SPAM that isn’t so obvious? The emails from people we handed a business card to at a Chamber  mixer (and did not give permission to be added to their list) or who friended us on Facebook or emailed us through the Contact page on our website? What about those SPAMMERS? They’re a little more insidious – but are you competing with them? I would hope not.

Here’s the thing. I get hundreds of SPAM emails a week some are of the hilarious type and some are from people who actually want my business and think that SPAMMING me is the way to get it. And what strikes me hilarious is that for each SPAM email I get, I probably know at least 5 businesses personally – or even virtually for that matter, that I would turn to if I were looking to hire that particular product or service.  Why would I hire a complete stranger – and a SPAMMER at that?

So here’s my point:  When I am working with small business owners to develop marketing systems for their businesses one of the key elements of that process is figuring how they are different so they can stand out in a crowd. One way you can be different is to NOT spam, another is to actually get out there – either off- or on- line and meet people.  The more people who know you, the better your chances of being thought of when they are ready to buy what you have to offer.  The whole goal here is to you’re your business known in your niche so that your target market never has to turn to a stranger!

 Here are 4 things you can do so you don’t have to compete with SPAMMERS (or anyone else!):

1. Network – This is a great way to meet potential clients and expand our sphere of influence. Join a networking group or two – and whatever you do, make sure the networking group, association or organization is full of people who fit your target market profile – or at least can introduce you to them. If your target market is women between the ages of 25 and 35, Rotary is probably not the best networking group for you.
2. Engage in Social Media – I know thousands of people online. Some I’ve met face-to-face, some I haven’t yet, some I probably never will. But in today’s world, none of that matters. I have formed real professional relationships with people I may never meet face to face – and I’ve received and referred business to them!   Social media is not about merely blasting ‘salesy’ stuff; it’s about educating, informing, and engaging an audience. This is a great way to stand out from the crowd and build some top of mind awareness for your brand.
3. Blog– Blogging is a great way to promote your brand and build a reputation and credibility.   Writing relevant, informative posts/articles will help you stand out from your competition (and certainly SPAMMERS). And blogging isn’t just about writing a few words and posting it to your blog site; you must become diligent about repurposing your blog posts and submitting them to sites that our target market reads to expand your reach.
4. Be a giver - I was in sales and marketing for 17 years when I worked for other people and it wasn’t until I became a business owner that I realized the power of being a giver.  I had always approached networking and relationship building with a “what’s in it for me” attitude. I now approach it with a “how can I help you attitude”. And the more people I meet the more I am able to refer and make introductions that can help other people.  I enjoy this aspect of it much better than the old way! Being a giver instead of a taker, makes it that much more fun!  When is the last time a SPAMMER gave you anything?

It boils down to this: our goal as business owners is to help our target market Know, Like, and Trust us so that when they are ready to buy, they buy from us (a John Jantsch, founder of Duct Tape Marketing saying). What are you doing each and every day to work toward that goal? If you don’t have an answer, your target market could be encouraging those SPAMMERS!

What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this!! Leave your comments here.

By the way, if you liked this post, I’d really appreciate your Retweet!!! Thank you.

 Here is a paraphrased summary of three different conversations I had with business owners this week:

Me: “Hmmm.. A ‘bunch’ you say? How many is a bunch?”

Business Success is a Journey

Nothing in life is easy. You’ve heard that right? Everything worth having requires a lot of hard work, a ton of persistence and loads of patience: Everything, from our education, to our relationships, and our careers. Did you expect to just go to a single class to earn your degree? Of course you didn’t- it took years of going to classes and studying! Did you expect to just show up at work for one day and earn a paycheck for the rest of your life? Sure, that would be nice, but no.  Did you woo your spouse with pomp and circumstance while you were dating and then completely ignore him or her afterwards?  Ummm, I certainly hope not! 

 So then why would you expect marketing your business to be any different?  Why do so many small business owners expect marketing to be quick-and-easy one-time event?  Place an ad and get rich! Yay!!!!  Send out a postcard and make the phones ring off the hook!  Wahoo! One ad, one postcard, one networking group and I’m set for life!!! 

It Doesn’t Work That Way!  

I’m sorry, it just doesn’t. No matter how hard you try. 

I guess f you haven’t been doing sales and marketing as long as I have, mailing out 250 cards with a “10% OFF” offer and not getting a single bite may seem like an earth shattering failure… but trust me, it isn’t. If you sent out 250 post cards to your target market with an extremely amazing,  compelling, and timelyoffer, on a consistent basis  and didn’t get a single response, then I might be a bit more surprised. 

Statistically, the chances of getting any measurable response from a single ad, postcard, email, etc. are going to be pretty slim – for many reasons…. Factor in the quality of your content/message (was it compelling, relevant, and timely?), your audience (did you target?… Know, I mean really target?) and your tracking methods and it can be nearly nonexistent.  

 But, Don’t You Know Who I Am?

Think about it: you are presumptuously putting your company/brand/message in front of the faces of Anyone-Who might at some point in their lives buy your products or services, assuming they 1)  are your  target market, 2) have made the decision to buy, 3) have allocated the resources to buy, 4) have  no obstacles in the way of actually making the buy, and 5) they know like and trust YOU enough to want to buy from you.Holy cow with all of those variables it’s amazing we ever sell anything at all, isn’t it?  

That is why a consistent and repetitive approach is key to effective marketing. For one thing,  studies show that consumers don’t even “see” an ad until they’ve been exposed to it like seven times or something.

You are never going to build a successful business by sending one postcard or email or placing one ad serendipitously here and there. That just isn’t how it works- it isn’t how we as humans work. It takes time to build trust; it takes time for us to make decisions to move forward. It takes time for us to pay attention to all the “stuff” that’s bombarded at us each day – but that’s another blog topic…

But besides the whole “does advertising work or not” argument: Do you even know who your best prospect is? What their buying cycle is? What their triggers are? If you don’t know the answers to these questions, don’t even waste your time and your money on another direct mail piece, advertisement, networking event, or any other marketing tactic…. Really.

But if you really want to gamble your hard earned money, the next time you’re tempted to throw money away on an ad or direct mail piece without knowing the 3 things I outlined above, visit the nearest casino instead- you have a better chance of getting a return on your investment. Or better yet, hire Fortune Marketing Companyand invest in the long-term success of your business!

What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this!! Leave your comments here.

By the way – if you like this post, I would REALLY appreciate your ReTweet! Thank you!!!!

Pick up a newspaper, magazine or advertising circular and look at the ads. What do you see?  A whole bunch of the same thing: a list of services; a company name; a tagline; a pretty graphic; and maybe an offer. 

Most businesses think of advertising in one of two ways: 1)   Put your company name in front of enough people enough times so they’ll remember you when it’s time to buy. … or 2)   Put an “amazing” offer out there and people will be compelled to respond (whether they’ve made the decision to buy or not).

The first scenario is called ”top of mind” advertising and unless you have a multi-million dollar marketing budget it’s very difficult to buy top of mind brand awareness. In the second example advertising sales people want their advertisers to see results (because results sell more advertising), so  they recommend you put an offer  in your ad:  Get 10% off service, $5.00 of a product, buy one get one free, etc.  And sure, that works - sometimes.

Let’s Analyze the “Compelling Offer” Approach:

Does putting an amazing offer in front of people influence them to buy even if they don’t have an immediate or compelling want or need? Does an amazing offer force someone to buy if they don’t have a budget? No, it doesn’t.  So your ad gets completely ignored and you don’t get any response. (Ok to be fair – best case scenario – someone may clip it, stick it to the fridge where it will hang for a month or two before it ends up in a drawer or in the trash).  

How an Ad Gets Seen….or Not. 

Consider this scenario:   I’m looking at an ad in the free local magazine that comes in the mail every month; it’s an ad for a $75 carpet, tile or grout cleaning.  Well, my tile and grout happen to be pretty clean- well clean enough for me right now. So I’m not interested in spending $75 to get it cleaned, even if it is a great deal. I ignore the ad and move on. 

Now let’s think about this… I am a tile owner. At some point in my life I may need tile cleaning services. However, did I notice the name of the business offering the deal? NO. Do I know how they are different from every other steam cleaning company out there? NO. Has this ad given me a reason to remember them when I am ready to get my tile and grout clean? NO. Has this ad engaged me in any way? NO.   

Old School Advertising Doesn’t Work!

And what’s the traditional reaction when advertising doesn’t work?    Ask any advertising rep and they’ll tell you - you need to advertise MORE (i.e.: spend MORE money), so that when your prospect is ready to buy  they will see or remember your ad and call you. But how much are you willing to spend to make a sale?

So let’s say you spend $175 / month on the ad and it takes me 6 months to decide I need to clean my tile. Let’s say I happen to choose you because I remembered seeing your ad in the magazine for the past six months and because your offer is better than the other guy who is doing it for $100. You’ve just paid $1050 to get my $75 sale. Sure, you may up-sell me, I may become a regular customer and my life time value may be in the thousands – but those are big “ifs”. Think about that:  you are spending hundreds – or even thousands – of dollars hoping to reach a prospect at exactly the right time in their buying process. Doesn’t that seem like a pretty large gamble to you? No wonder businesses think advertising doesn’t work! 

A New Way to Advertise.

What if, instead of advertising with the hope of making your phone ring off the hook and breaking sales records immediately, you take a different approach! What if you try something Duct Tape Marketing calls the “2 Step Approach to Advertising”?   What if, instead of spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on print ads trying to find that needle in a haystack – that rare person who is ready to buy what you are offering the second they see your ad – you find potential prospects and get their permission to market to them on a more consistent basis and with more targeted offers while spending less money? 

Here’s How 2 Step Advertising Works:

Create an ad offering a free report:  “5 Easy Things You Can do to Keep Your Tile and Grout Clean”. Or better yet, “How to Remove Tile and Grout Stains Yourself”.   OK,  I know what you’re thinking… you’re thinking this is crazy and it’s going to cost you business –right?  Well, you’re wrong. It won’t cost you business; in fact this approach will accomplish three things. It will:

1.  Get people to your website where they can learn more about you.
2. Attract people who actually own tile and who will give you permission to market to them on a regular basis.
3. Prove that you care more about helping people than making a sale (prospects love that).  

 The goal of marketing is to get people who have a need to KNOW, LIKE AND TRUST you so when they are ready to buy, they buy from you. Offering helpful and useful information helps build your KNOW, LIKE and TRUST factors and yes, increases sales. 

The goal of 2 Step Advertising is to get prospects to your site and get their permission to engage them by collecting their email addresses. Once you have their permission you can email surveys, newsletters, tips and offers geared specifically to their needs on a monthly or bi-monthly basis for about a penny an email.

Think about how powerful that is: You get to communicate with a prospect who has given you permission to market to them for one tiny penny! That’s HUGE! 

Your New Advertising Strategy

How many more responses do you think you can get when you stop selling in your advertiing and start offering helpful information? People hate to be sold. And that’s what traditional advertising is all about. What if you can get 10 new people on your email list from each ad? What if 1 of those people eventually buys from you at full price – or close to it? What is the cost of that one customer compared to the one you got by practicing traditional advertising?  I guarantee that if you implement this approach as part of your marketing strategy you will get results and begin to see your business grow.

I look forward to reading your comments! Please click here. (And then scroll down to the comments section on the bottom of the page)