I’ve been consulting for 8 years now and got to thinking about some of the unexpected, more insider types of things I wish more people knew about marketing. It’s not that I’ve only learned one secret per year. (That’s for all you smart alecks.) 🙂
The SBA (Small Business Administration) states that 30% of new businesses fail during the first two years of being open, 50% during the first five years. Wow. I don’t feel like doing the math, but if we met 8 years ago chances are that one of us wouldn’t still be here!
So here we go, short and sweet. 8 Marketing Secrets That Shouldn’t Be Secret:
- Those who invest in marketing when others are cutting back win. Just look at any economic downturn. It’s a time to invest, not bail. Although budgets need be aligned, marketing is a profit opportunity that shouldn’t be ignored.
- They won’t come if you build it. It’s surprising how often I’ve come across people who are surprised they aren’t busier just because they have a website or placed a social media ad. If it were really that easy, the statistics would be very different.
- A shocking number of people think they just need to get their social media going, and that will drive tons of traffic to their website. Social media has the lowest conversion rate. The Lowest. These days you need to invest about $1,000 per month to get any results. Yes, really.
- It helps to be an extrovert – in networking, sales, and because you need to brag. How else will people know? I’m definitely more of an introvert, but the quiet types don’t get as much attention.
- Some salespeople feel like they have to explain everything about everything they offer. Most people do not want to hear it all. Know your top 3 key differentiators. The human brain can only handle 3 things at a time. Don’t go in-depth with them. Think short attention spans.
- A surprising number feel that all it takes is to hand you their card or brochure and tell you what a good referral for them is. Here’s the thing; and this goes for number 5 above too, you are more impressed with your business than anyone else is. That’s the cold hard truth, and sorry to be so blunt about it but I’m a New Yorker and there you have it.
- It’s NOT good to have a goal for networking. Some people teach you to have a goal of say making 5 new contacts at an event. However, it could be a bad event, those in attendance aren’t your best target markets, only 6 people showed up, etc. Then you have to go through with all the one-to-ones and you waste your time and possibly theirs. And if you’re doing that because you want to pitch to everyone, please just Don’t. Don’t waste our time like this.
- Here’s my number one Marketing Secret That Shouldn’t Be Secret. What works is to tell them something different. If you are a starfish in a sea of starfish, find something unique about You – your personal key differentiators. Tell them things they may have heard before but in a different way. Take your “best customer service” to a new level – and promote what that is.
And there you have it. Did I tell you something different? I hope so. I wonder what the SBA statistics would be if everyone knew these secrets out of the gate. Do you have marketing secrets to share? I’d love to hear them!
Here’s to the next 8 years!
Connie Kroskin
conniekroskin.com