Category: Marketing

Posted on

Are you using a Sales or a Marketing Message?

Your marketing message is a crucial component in reaching your target customer.  The first thing to do, however, is to identify all customer benefits because this will in-turn generate interest.

Marketing Messages and Sales Messages

STEP #1 How to Target Your Market By Answering 3 Questions.

Copy-Boarding is an exercise in benefit clarification. Copy-Boarding consequently flips sales-objections into benefits.

Marketing Message - Copy BoardingA simple copy boarding exercise nail down your messaging. These sessions take about an hour and are valuable in all your marketing copy. Book a Copy-Boarding session here.

So Are You Using a Sales or Marketing Message?

First of all, what are your tactics?

  • “Tactics are the actions you take to implement your strategy. Think about these carefully so you can determine what response you’re trying to generate from your target audience. For example, you might want them to:
     – Go to your website to get more information.
     – Fill out an online survey.
  •  – Call to speak with a salesperson.
  •  – Request that a salesperson call them.
     – Attend a free webinar.
     – Download a free white paper.
     – Call for more information.
     – Agree to a sales meeting or presentation.
     – Attend a free seminar or workshop.
     – Request a free product demo.
     – Take a 30-day free trial of the product.
     – Refer your services to others in your target market.
     – Become an affiliate and sell your products and services.
     – Buy the product with a credit card.”
    Excerpt is from Robert W. Bly’s book The Marketing Plan Handbook.

Marketing Message DartsMarketing messages are different because of the approach you deliver to the prospect.

Most noteworthy in sales vs. marketing messages — while both are aimed at increasing revenue — most don’t realize the difference between the two. This is mostly because most small organizations have too few employees to separate the two.

Marketing is the lead-up and into benefits for the prospective buyer; how it will affect them after they buy and start using. Sales simply is the offer; the guarantee; the close of the deal.

And regardless of the size of an organization, an alignment to your messaging must have continuity through sales and into the aftersale (or customer service). This is where Social Media is a crucial component of your strategy and effort-mix.

Are you still wondering about the effectiveness of your Marketing Message?

Schedule a time to do a copy-boarding exercise and discover the way you can take your message to the next level and get better results in both engagement opportunities and sales.

 

Posted on

Your Website Is Your Window The World …

… are you ready to start marketing yet?

Your Website Marketing Banner

Your website is your hub for all your online business dealings

As a website and marketing developer, I have found that it is crucial for businesses to understand that having a website or that having an online-presence — no matter whether it is eBay, Etsy, Shopify, et.al. — is only one leg of the process and does not equate to online sales. It sets you up for online sales, but it is not the right tool for the next phase of this process.

Think of it like this. A carpenter has a toolbox full of tools, however, even with all those tools, a building will not get built without the carpenter putting his skills to the task.

Regarding your website “Understanding the all the components (the ones that drive conversions) is separate from the build — although still integrated with your overall strategy.” ~ Trevor Greenfield from Redwood SEO

Your WebsiteAlong with your website — other things to think about!

Getting noticed — via SEO, Social Media, et.al. — is only part of the plan. In today’s modern marketing, it is crucial to know the different awareness levels of your varying targets so your outbound messaging has the right timing to the intended target. This often overlooked ‘timing’ component is a crucial step.

More information about marketing your website…

Your Website — if designed correctly — will allow you to deliver the right message at the right time; a crucial component of inbound marketing, I suggest you contact me directly and we can chat about you and your business.

If you are looking for more information about marketing your website, I have written about this in two blogs that may interest you.

  1. VISIT: dickinsonent.com/cortex/the-right-message/ — where I talk about delivering the right message at the right time.
  2. VISIT: dickinsonent.com/cortex/marketing-messages/ — this is about the marketing messages that you will put out
Posted on

Marketing Your Business Is Like Farming

Marketing your business is like farming — planning, patience, and diligence, will bring your reward. 

Marketing Your Business — Content Marketing Banner

While physical marketing still exists, content marketing is how marketing predominantly happens today. So in marketing your business, you must plant the seed for your ideal customer to see; then maintain the best practices available regarding landing pages & content; and last but not least, stay on task to navigate the natural disasters.

This process is crucial to the results that most are looking to achieve. In fact, the parallels between marketing and farming are almost identical.

“Many people hope that inbound marketing will provide a quick fix for their marketing and sales goals; however, like food, it takes time for potential clients to be ready to buy.” ~ Lydia Di Francesco — Marketing and Brand Awareness Expert

So “How do I start” you may be thinking… simply read on.

The Start Of Marketing Your Business — Plant Your Seed

“Prospects go through stages. Your job is to nurture them like a plant as they move from seed to seedling, to healthy, full-grown, productive, and alive.” ~ Pamela Wilson — Author of Master Content Marketing

Marketing Your Business — Digital Marketing Is Like Farming
SOURCE: topdogsocialmedia.com

As with any business, you must start somewhere — marketing your business in today’s business landscape is no different.

Planting the seed that you are an expert or have the best widget is a process. You must create a way for the message to get to the intended target (i.e. advertising, emailing, etc.), develop compelling content (e.g. a strong benefit-driven message), and enlist a capture mechanism to get gated material.

Maintain The Best Practices Available in Marketing Your Business

“The right sales and marketing strategies play an essential role in the success of your business. Developments in technology have opened up entirely new ways to market and sell products and services. Best practice now involves harnessing the power of the Internet, email and mobile telephony to increase the effectiveness of getting products and services to the customer.” ~ Info Entrepreneurs

Marketing Your Business — Middle of Funnel MethodologyDiscovering what works for marketing your business can be a challenge for many small businesses.  The resources mixed with the budget are often limited; and then there is message creation, timing insight, and the whole ‘what do I do now’ factor. These all play a part in the development of a concise plan and knowing these will help you succeed with marketing your business.

That said, this mid-funnel methodology is broad in scope and often is different for each business. So rather than drone on, I recommend you allow me to talk to you about it at no cost to you.  Set a chat time in 3 clicks via my online calendar.

Stay On Task And Navigate The Natural Disasters

“The best way for your business to cope with a natural disaster is to have a plan before it strikes. Time and clear thinking are luxuries in an emergency situation, which is why it is so important to be prepared.” ~ Government of Queensland, Australia

Marketing Your Business — Business Crisis AheadAnd while [they] are talking about getting your business ready for a natural disaster such as flooding and cyclones, the methodology is the same. 

The reality, not every campaign will work out. There will be some trial and error in the beginning, but this information is super valuable when you go to develop a strategy and business plan that will be the ruler by which you can measure your progress. This plan is the sailing plan by which business owners navigate economic trends, industry forces, natural disasters and other variables.

Have You Heard Of Marketing Your Business With Inbound Marketing?

If you have not been under a rock for the past 5 years, surely you have heard of “inbound marketing”.

In summary, it is the act of setting in place a system that approaches the potential customer with engaging content and compelling CTA’s (calls to action) and drives a potential ‘ideal client’ to your proverbial business doorstep.

That all said, the timing must be right! Download our free guide to help you deliver the right message to the right target at the right time.

Proudly powered by WordPress
error: Our content is protected — stealing is a crime — you are being watched!!