When you think of business marketing, what comes to mind? For many businesses, marketing is synonymous with specific activities. When they say they need to boost marketing efforts, what they’re really saying is that they plan to do more direct mail, TV or radio advertising, print ads or email marketing. Maybe they’ve jumped into social media and they plan to have a bigger presence on Twitter or Facebook. Or maybe they’re considering spending money on search engine optimization (SEO). Some may even be looking at a complete redesign of their website.
All of those activities can be useful (some more than others) to take your message to prospective clients—if they’re done properly. The problem is that too many companies treat them as individual, stand-alone activities. Often companies will “try” various activities in an attempt to generate leads and boost sales. And when the activity falls short of their expectations, they simply move on to the next one. What’s missing is a marketing mindset: an understanding of the marketing process, which includes a strategy for integrating these various activities together for a single purpose.
Successful marketing isn’t arm-twisting. Nor is it convincing someone (against their will) to buy your goods or services. Successful marketing starts with understanding your clients’ wants, needs and desires—and that requires thinking like a client. Then it involves providing your potential clients with clear, accurate, helpful information about how your products and services can satisfy their wants, needs and desires. And finally, it makes it easy for clients to do that.
Successful marketing isn’t a “one-and-done” proposition. Clients often go through a process of their own when making decisions—particularly when the decision involves a significant amount of money or a significant change from what they are used to. Smart (and successful) marketers also recognize that sometimes smaller pieces or helpful information—spaced out over time and delivered through a variety of sources—can be more helpful than “drinking from the fire hose.”
That’s why it’s so important that all the various parts of your marketing efforts (the individual activities) are integrated, coordinated and share a common process. Does your marketing plan consist of individual, stand-alone activities, or is it an integrated process built around the way your clients think and act? And are your efforts generating qualified leads that you can follow up on?
We’d love to show you exactly what we mean. See for yourself by requesting a free 30-minute marketing analysis that will examine your existing efforts, analyze your website, take a look at your sales process and leave you with actionable steps you can take to improve your marketing efforts.
