Marketing, for many small businesses, is the biggest expense you've got. Why? Because after tossing hundreds if not thousands of dollars into campaigns, promotional items and other material with the hopes of catching your markets eye, you are rewarded with a big fat bill and no new clients.
But it doesn't have to be that way...
If you find yourself tossing your hard earned small business dollars into direct mail campaigns, newsletter mailings or other client acquisition or retention efforts that just don't give you a good return, it may be that your marketing is putting your audience to sleep!
Follow the steps below (and be sure to check out the previous steps from last week) to make sure your marketing is an investment that is printed, posted and acted on:
3. Brand Engagement
Whether you are developing a special offer or simply use your marketing as a means for creating awareness, you can't omit your brand message. Ultimately, it's your brand message that will create loyalty and common ground with your audience.
What does your brand stand for?
It alarms me that few small business entrepreneurs can answer this question in just a few sentences. My friends, a logo does not a brand make and believing that simply placing your logo on all of your pieces is your brand message is a tell tale sign of brand delusion.
During a conversation with a highly skilled designer the conversation turned to branding. A terribly conservative designer (and person), she chose to use the image of a rather round, balding man as her 'brand persona.' She thought using the image of this jolly fellow would give her brand recognition plus it brought humor to her marketing.
When I asked her to describe her brand, she stammered a bit and uttered a rendition of what virtually every business owner in the free world states, "I care about my clients, and do my best to make them look good in order to help them succeed..."
Honorable but says very little about her brand.
After just a few weeks working together, she quickly realized that her brand essence, the beating heart of her business and what truly drives her, had yet to be communicated to anyone.
She has since retired Mr. Jolly and replaced her brand imagery to reflect what her brand is all about. Here's what she now say's about her brand:
"Every design I create enables me to leave my mark as an artist and human being. My designs are created to help my clients leave their mark. Together, we leave our imprint on the world expressing our passion and purpose..."
Although her former Mr. Jolly campaign was memorable, it did not create brand engagement because the brand she was projecting was not a reflection of her own. A funny and jolly brand experience is what she promoted but is not what her clients actually enjoyed when they work with her.
Brand inconsistencies are the kiss of death in a world of smoke and mirror promises. Your clients and customers are looking for not only good information (in the form of products and services) they are also looking for connections. Falsely representing your brand is a sure way to disengage before you ever get to connect.
So let me ask you again...what does your brand stand for? And, are you projecting that essence in your Marketing? Your ability to engage your audience with your brand depends on it.
4. Call to Action
If you're not inviting your clients and customers to take a next step with you...what's the point?
A major marketing blunder is to either have no call to action or have more than one.
The rule of thumb is to always ask for a next step - this is a rule that is true in selling and marketing. But remember, only one action at a time.
In a recent email campaign, the marketer (a coach) had a deliciously intriguing subject line, which led me to open her message. The promotion was simply delightful and nearly had me ready to whip out my credit card. As I read a little further, she made a major marketing blunder by also promoting two other events in the same message.
Because she now had me lured into another offer, I lost my connection to the first message. You see, even experienced marketers react to over stimulation by making no decision at all.
In your marketing, do not be tempted to offer it all up once; your services, your free consult, your upcoming event. Focus your message on one key action you want your audience to take and help guide their next step with you.
Begin to think of your marketing as you would an event. That flyer or postcard you're sending out is an event worthy of getting your audience excited about - that's where your images and copy come into play. But like any event, you've got to give them a reason to join you!
Aren't you more excited about attending an event when you know there's great food, door prizes, good company or some other personal reason you must RSVP? Look at your marketing in much the same way and you'll entice your audience to pick up the phone to reserve their spot, pick up that special report or take advantage of your time sensitive offer.
The days of unimaginative, irrelevant, cookie cutter marketing are over! By implementing a few key marketing principles you're more apt to keep your message out of the trash.
©Copyright 2007 Liz Pabon. All rights reserved.
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