To occupy such a position in your customer’s mind, you must appreciate fact that everything you do and don’t do, influence customer’s perception of you. Your name, logo, location, facilities quality, packaging, dressing and advertorials create perceptions. Use them to your advantage.

What do your customers think of you at moment? What words do they use to describe you or your product? From what they say, where are you positioned in their minds? Are they aware that you exist at all?

If you are happy with your positioning in your customer’s mind, how do you plan to maintain that position in long run? If you are not satisfied with your positioning, what position would you like to occupy? What do you want your customer to think and say about you? You can re-position for success.

POSITION YOURSELF

Let me end this article by suggesting that you position yourself as a person. Who are you? What are problems you are uniquely equipped to solve? Or what is your unique selling proposition? Who are people that should be touched by your life? Jesus Christ once asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” He was interested in people’s perception of him, because he knew that would influence their attitude towards him.

I encourage that you do not try to be an outstanding generality. If you feel that it is your destiny to influence internet community for good, it is time to brand and position yourself. The community needs problem-solvers in virtually all areas of life. Problem-solving is quickest route to leadership. When you focus on adding value to people’s lives, rewards will come back to you.

You will succeed!

Ade Ajayi

Here are 7 ways to implement "Pull Marketing" into your internet marketing strategy:

1. Make sure your web site is listed in major search engines. Your site needs to be optimized so that it is listed under appropriate keywords and phrases, making it visible when your potential customers and clients are ready to buy.

2. Make your expertise memorable by writing informative articles relevant to your industry or niche. Make those articles visible by submitting and syndicating them to sites and ezines for future publication.

3. Contribute meaningfully to online forums where your potential customers gather to exchange their views, opinions and talk about their problems. Leave a subtle keyworded link in each of your postings. Now that other forum visitors know who you are and what you know, they'll be more inclined to check out your link.

4. Brand your email with a signature. Every email you send out should have a short blurb at end along with your URL. Make sure main benefit of your business is stressed and make it compelling and irresistable. Make it memorable.

5. Provide a content rich web site that pulls visitors into interacting in some way. They have to come back for newest articles, they have to come back to see results of a poll or quiz they took part in. Constantly give your web site visitors a reason to return.

6. Leave your URL and signature on any other related sites that allow link submissions or link exchanges. Sign guestbooks, send webmasters testimonials touting what a great source of info their site has been to you. They may publish it, and your URL right on their main page.

7. List your site in appropriate category of every online directory you can find. Drill down through categories as if you were a prospective customer looking for services you offer and submit your liating there. Targeted visibility will do wonders for your marketing pull.

The bottom line is: Visibility is key to effective "Pull Marketing". You need to be there when your customers come looking.