Topic: What do to, what not to do.
Podcast Episode #78 of the internet show about small business marketing
Host: Jay Ehret – Chief Officer of Awesomeness at TheMarketingSpot.com
Length: 27 minutes
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
— SHOW NOTES AND LINKS —
Marketing Traps:
1. Discounting – Thinking the reason people are not buying from you is because your price is too high. See also: 3 Predictably Irrational Pricing Strategies and What Should You do About Discounting?
“It’s not the price tag that determines whether or not the customer will purchase. What does determine the sale is the value of what you are selling.”
2. Facebook – There have only been a few minor success stories for businesses that try to sell on Facebook. See also: A Facebook Fairy Tale – Horror Story and What should you do about Facebook?
“Most businesses put in time on their Facebook page with very little return on that time.”
3. Letting a media sales rep handle your marketing – Don’t let your rep come up with your creative and your campaign. It will look and feel like everything else on that medium. Maintain full control of your message and tell them what you want to run. Hire outside creative help if necessary.
“It’s not that they’re dishonest. They aren’t. They just don’t know what they’re doing. They’re a disinterested third party who hasn’t had the proper training.”
4. A good idea – Something really cool that doesn’t have a link to anything you’ve done in the past, nor anything you will do in the future. When that idea runs it’s course, the value of that idea is also over. See also: Opportunity Cost and the Danger of a Good Idea.
“Good ideas, they look pretty, but they’re tomorrow stealers.”
5. Going to an industry specialist – Most businesses from the same industry pretty much look all alike. The reason is they read the same industry trade publications and blogs, follow the same standards and methods of operations promoted by the same industry specialists.
“The only way you get talked about is if you are remarkable. And if you look like everyone else in the industry, you’re not going to get remarked about.”
Marketing Treasures:
1. Google local listings – You can improve your phone traffic if you raise your position in Google local listings. See also: Local Search Results and Local Search: The Game is Changing
“Claim your Google Places page and then optimize your home page on your website and raise your position in the Google local listings.”
2. Reading Books – Read three books on a subject and you will be an expert on that subject. Your ability is a combination of the books you read plus your practical experience. See also: Don’t just read a business book, digest it. and The Essential Small Business Reading List.
“Podcasts, blogs…they’re great. But, nothing beats books for in-depth knowledge.”
3. Tagline / Hook – An out-of-the-ordinary visual or verbal identifier. See also: The Importance of Taglines in Branding and What Your Tagline Says.
“A tagline, a hook, is something that customers can hang their memory on. Think of it as a ‘memory hook.’”
4. Google Analytics and Webmaster Tools – They help you analyze your website traffic and improve your search engine rankings. See also: Online ESP: Reading Your Customers’ Minds with Web Analytics
“I fully acknowledge that Google is the Evil Empire. But I’m going to use their free tools to help my business.”
5. A meaningful brand identity – A psychological, emotional relationship between a business and customers. See also: What is a brand? and The Branding Process Explained for Small Businesses.
“A brand by-product is customer loyalty.”
SHOW LINKS
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