How to Make More Money With Your Marketing
This is the first in a series of 4 special articles on how to make more money with your marketing, using the Adult B2B Marketing system.
If you read these 4 articles you can pretty much do it yourself.
If you need help we’re always there to help.
Part One
The first distinction that should be made is the distinction between Strategic and tactical marketing. Strategic marketing has to do with what you say, how you say it, and who you say it to. In other words, it’s the content of your marketing message.
Tactical marketing is the execution of your strategic marketing plan as far as generating leads, placing media, creating marketing tools, and implementing a follow up system. In other words, it’s the medium your message is delivered in.
The distinction between strategic and tactical marketing is huge. Most people
mistakenly assume that when you talk about marketing that you’re automatically talking about tactical marketing–-placing ads, generating leads, sending out mailers, attending trades shows, creating brochures, implementing a follow up system, and so forth. They fail to realize that the strategic side of the coin–-what you say, how you say it, and who you say it to–-is almost always MORE important than the marketing medium WHERE you say it. This program will help you become proficient in BOTH.
What Marketing Is Supposed To Do:
1. Capture the attention of the target market.
2. Facilitate the prospects’ information gathering and decision making processes.
3. Lower the risk of taking the next step in the sales cycle.
It should ultimately lead your prospects to the conclusion that you will hear many times in this space: “I would have to be an absolute fool to do business with anyone else but you…regardless of price.”
Inside Reality & Outside Perception
Outside Perception
Your Outside Perception is the way your company is viewed by prospective customers. This is based on any communication you have with them. Advertising, marketing, sales efforts all form your Outside Perception.
Inside Reality
Your Inside Reality is the actual value you bring to the marketplace. This is based on your products or services, your quality, your people, your systems, your service, etc. A good Inside Reality can be developed by anticipating customer wants and needs and developing your business to meet them. To create an outstanding Inside Reality, you’ve got to live by the credo, “Victory goes to the one with superior forces at the point of contact.”
-Chinese Proverb
PROBLEM: Most companies’ Inside Reality & Outside Perception don’t match up.
And it’s important to note another old saying: “If you want to know why John Smith buys what John Smith buys, you’ve got to see the world through John Smith’s eyes.”
Most Advertisements are Institutional Ads and Fit this mold:
“Here’s our best attempt at being creative and here’s the biggest budget we could muster to support this crap.”
This formula is:
• Utilized by most big companies and some small ones.
• Supported by huge ad budgets: (2002, Source: Advertising Age).
GM – $3.6 billion
Proctor/Gamble $2.7 billion
Disney – $1.8 billion
Sears – $1.6 billion
McDonald’s – $1.3billion
Pepsi – $1.1 billion
Platitudes Now Rule The Roost…
Platitudes are words or phrases that are drearily commonplace and predictable, that lack power to evoke interest through overuse and repetition…that are nevertheless stated as though they were original or significant. Sayings like:
Lowest Prices
Best Service
Highest Quality
Words & Phrases like:
Most Professional
Largest Selection
Biggest In State
Family Owned
Most Reliable
In Business Since 1431B.C.
And then there’s Menu board style advertising:
Just like a restaurant menu…“Here’s our name and here’s a list of stuff we have for sale.”
• Utilized by many small businesses.
• Commonly found in yellow pages, newspaper, magazines…even radio & TV.
• Basic offer: “Come buy from us for no justifiable, rational reason besides we have it.”
Even A Dead Fish Can Float Down Stream
Just because your ads are done wrong and violate the Marketing Equation doesn’t mean they absolutely won’t work. In fact, often times they work just fine.
Why? Because none of your competitors are doing any better at marketing than you are! After all, people need to buy what you sell, and they’re going to buy from somebody. If you have any ad you’re going to get some business. We call this “situational results,” meaning the momentum of the marketplace will bring you some customers. Here’s a better idea: implement the Marketing Equation into your business and own your marketplace!
Next Week – Platitudes in Marketing and How to Fix the Problem