The Top 10 Marketing Mistakes You Don't Want to MakeWritten by Susan Dunn, M.A.
Permission is granted to reprint provided bio line stays intact.1. Resting on your laurels. Just because you have what you think is a good marketing plan in place today doesn't mean it'll be right tomorrow. The pace today is so accelerated, you must stay ahead of game. Constantly research what your competition is doing. Surf Internet to see what's new out there. 2. Hype. Sooner or later hype will catch up with you. Being superficial and underestimating consumer is first of all poor taste, and second of all, it's bad business. Avoid jargon and pat phrases and give substance. 3. Not having an R&D Team, focus group or feedback source. Test your ideas on others. There are some absolutely wonderful ads out there that people remember, but they don't remember name of product/company. For example, there was a great ad out awhile ago that talked about Bank of Northern Hemisphere. Very clever; everyone remembered it. The problem was, they didn't remember name of bank you were supposed to use instead. 4. Not trusting your marketing person. If you hire someone to do your marketing, hire someone you trust and then let them do their job. With 20 years marketing experience, I had many interesting jobs and some interesting job interviews. One corporation asked me, "Can you stick with a plan once it's in place?" Red flag. Any marketing campaign must be constantly monitored and you need to be able to switch on a dime. An experienced marketing person can titre what's working and what isn't. It becomes almost a sixth sense. Why would you throw good money after bad just because changing it is an inconvenience? 5. Not giving it time to work. It's an adage in marketing that if you're going to say it, say it at least 3 times. I've consulted with individuals, particularly, who send out a brochure, no one bites, they want to abandon it. Generally it takes 3 "hits." People run through their emails rapidly and delete things they wish they hadn't. Make their wish come true! Give them a second, third, fourth chance. The formula is--when you're sick and tired of it, public is just beginning to hear it.
| | Low-cost Surefire Marketing IdeasWritten by Susan Dunn, Coach
Permission to reprint articles as long as bio line stars intact.There are lots of ways to advertise your business that cost money, and they work, but there are also more innovative ways that don't. Non-profits offer one venue for promoting that's very cost-effective. Volunteering your time to serve dinner at a shelter, or to serve on Board of a non-profit can give you exposure to people you might not run into otherwise. Volunteers generally chat and share information and you can have your cards and brochures handy when you serve. It's expected. If you're on a Board and can serve in your area of expertise, it's wonderful. You can volunteer to coordinate a canned food drive for your company, or to gather school supplies for needy children. If done properly, they are also a photo op for media. If you're building a business or practice and can work up a seminar or workshop, notify non-profits and churches that you're available as a speaker or presenter. They are a very warm and grateful audience. Will it give you exposure to give a "Dress for Succss" seminar for homeless? Yes. These things are usually brought up at Board meetings, and people on Board generally are big consumers and have wide circles of influence. It feels good to help others, and in addition to that, you get to practice some really important skills, such as public speaking. Will local church appreciate your offering to give a talk on "How to Make a Midlife Career Change?" You bet.
|
