Three Little Secrets to Marketing Success

Hands up if you've been to a marketing seminar where the speaker promises riches beyond belief if you just follow their simple plan of action and spend thousands of dollars on their products? Sorry for the cynicism here, but I'm a bit sick of the die-hard tactics many marketers employ to push their own marketing methodologies without regard for you (the business owner), the type of business you are in, your budgets or target markets.

Go to an ad agency, you'll get an advertising solution. Go to an online guru and you'll get an online solution. Go to a PR agency and guess what? You'll get a PR solution, even if your story is down-right boring. You get my point. So here are just three of my top secrets for marketing success.

Secret 1 - Remember the marketing basics - get a POD

Marketing is not selling or advertising. It is simply about getting your business in front of more of the right people, more often and with an offer too good to refuse. That means you have a product or service offering with creative marketing concepts 'built-right-in' at the beginning and that you have a point of difference that makes you stand out from the competition.

Secret 2 - Explore all your marketing options

Before developing your marketing campaigns, be sure to explore the hundreds of options to market your business whether it be online, direct mail, PR, networking, email marketing, sponsorships, advertising, events, client referrals and so on. Choose the best marketing tactics for your business type, your product or service offering, your desired markets, your budgets and resources. It's not a one size fits all. An accounting practice for example will use very different marketing tactics to an ice-cream shop.

Secret 3 - Choose marketing tactics you feel good about

I have witnessed marketing failure many times because people attempt to use tactics they are simply not comfortable with. There is no point in running a direct mail campaign if you or your people are too scared to pick up the phone and follow it up with a call to the recipient. There's also no point in getting lots of wonderful PR if you're not comfortable having your photo splashed across the papers or are too scared to have a bold opinion. There's also no point in attending networking events if you are shy and awkward and not a good conversationalist. It's important to choose tactics you feel passionate about, that inspire you and your team and that can be applied with persistent enthusiasm.

So, before you reach for the phone to place an ad in your local paper, spend some time learning about different marketing tactics, speak to other successful business owners and learn their trade secrets, review your past marketing activities (what worked, what didn't and which ones you really enjoyed) or hold your own lunch with other local businesses and share your ideas. Remember, there are 101 ways to market your business.