Smart Marketing

Trying to find marketing articles? Here are two marketing articles I've just written

Some of you may be trying to find marketing articles and tips. I've recently written some marketing articles that have been posted on other sites. Here are two of them:

• My marketing article 3 Must-Have Metrics for Your Marketing Staff has just been posted on the RainToday.com site. 

• My marketing article called Successfully Managing Pay-per-Click Campaigns was also just posted over at SmartBiz.com.

Small business marketing plan tip #3

I've been working with small business marketing plans now for 20+ years and one thing I know about small business marketing plans is that over 90% of them fail due to improper implementation. You see, the real secret to a successful small business marketing plan is to constantly, and conscientiously implement it. And very few small business owners commit to proper marketing implementation.

Here are some tips on successfully implenting your small business marketing plan:

• Agree to work only 15 minutes on a task – If you want momentum, you must work on your marketing every day. To help with this, pick one task from your marketing to-do list and say to yourself, "I’m going to work on this for just 15 minutes today". Then, set an alarm for yourself. What I’ve found is that most small business marketers, upon hearing the alarm, will be so engrossed in their work, and so proud of their progress, that they will work well past the alarm going off. What they needed to do in the first place was mentally commit to just 15 minutes.

•   Always establish a project’s drop dead date – A drop dead date is the absolute last date you, or anyone in your company, can touch a marketing vehicle (i.e. the final layout for a brochure, the final copy for your website).  After this date, others outside your company will perform all remaining work on the project. Memorize this drop-dead date, then manage all activity so you honor this all-important date. 

• Budget for maintenance tasks - If your marketing effort is more than a year old, you’ll probably have maintenance tasks to budget for—both mentally and financially. Any program you’re repeating, or any ongoing marketing task (e.g. generating  monthly e-newsletter, reviewing website metrics) should be accounted for in your timelines and budgets.:

If you want your smalll business marketing plan to succeed, you have to work at its implementation. This fall, I'll be launching a virtual action group to help small business owners and solo entrepreneurs with their implemention. If you'd like to learn more, email me at lipe@emergemarketing.com 

Search engine marketing tip - Read Search Marketing Standard

As any search engine marketing expert knows, the search engine marketing field is a tough one to keep up with. Search engine marketing rules keep changing and the field keeps shifting. But that's exactly the reason why I suggest you subscribe to the offline publication Search Marketing Standard.

The newest issue of Search Marketing Standard just arrived in my mailbox and I devoured it. This magazine just keeps getting better. In this most recent issue there are articles by noted search engine marketing experts on such issues as:

• Finding the Right Search Marketing Firm
• Google AdWords Optimizer
• Video Marketing
• Click Fraud Standards

In it you'll also find an article I wrote called "Top 10 Pay-Per-Click Campaign Mistakes". If you don't yet subscribe to Search Marketing Standard, I suggest you do. Your web stats will thank you.

What are the most common marketing mistakes?

After 20 years advising small businesses on their marketing, I think I’ve identified some of the most common marketing mistakes. That’s because I see these common marketing mistakes being made over and over. If you want to succeed in your small business marketing efforts, avoid these common marketing mistakes:

Lacking Patience
These days we expect immediate results.  Want to know how your stocks are doing? Dial into the Internet for an up-to-the-minute check.  Want to see what I’m looking at?  I’ll fax you a copy.

Yet, successful marketing depends on an entirely different approach because marketing is about changing people’s behavior. And that simply doesn’t happen overnight (Those of you with kids really know what I’m talking about!).

A short while ago, I met with a fellow consultant and told him about my marketing work with growing companies.  After several meetings, he assured me he’d have some business for me.  Months later, after receiving my newsletter, he let me know he still had me in mind.  A couple months after that, he introduced me to one of his clients—it led nowhere.  Several months after that, I met with another client of his—again no deal.

A couple months go by later (we’re now 1 ½ years later and counting), he suggested I lunch with yet another client. More meetings, lunches, and then finally, a full 2 years after meeting this gentleman, I began working with one of his clients.

Today, this company is a valued client of mine. But, what’s the lesson here?  Stick it out.  If I’d given up after year one, I’d have missed out on all those revenues.

Throwing Nickels Around Like They’re Manhole Covers
Don’t get me wrong.  It’s very important to scrutinize where you’ll spend your marketing dollars, and what payback you’re expecting. But, I’ve seen businesses take this too far. How do you know you’ve gone too far?:

• You catch yourself always saying “We can’t afford that.”

• You start hearing the word “cheap” from customers.

• Even your financial officer is urging you to spend!

Spending a bit more to improve the appearance of a marketing flyer may not result in more immediate business.  But it may communicate a more successful image for your company. When that happens, it will pay off in sales and referrals down the road.

In marketing you must spend money. Because of this, many accountants have an inherent concern with us, yet spending money is necessary to get the market’s attention. So, from time to time—splurge.  Use an aqueous coating on your next direct mailing.  Hire a graphic designer to give your materials a fresh look. Test a 2-color ad instead of 1-color.

Lacking Diligent Following Through
One client of mine was in the home-remodeling business. We had very productive discussions throughout the market planning process. He showed a good grasp of business strategies and clearly understood how these would translate into his marketing activities. But, all this momentum ground to a halt when we began implementing the marketing plan.

Suddenly, his whole demeanor changed.  He endlessly nit-picked at inconsequential issues. He backed out of several marketing events.  And most distressing, he couldn’t meet a deadline. If he had a short section of copy to write, he’d be weeks late or never turn it in.

I quickly realized this was a fellow who liked to create ideas, but had a real fear of implementing them. Remember that you must commit to forward movement in any marketing effort—it’s what turns thoughts into actions.

Regularly schedule one hour a week to work on your marketing.  Write the first draft of a direct mail letter.  Take a prime client out to lunch and ask her 5 basic questions about your business. Take a prime source of referrals out to breakfast and ask him for 2 more. One hour per week is the bare minimum any company should spend on marketing. If you’re a bigger company, try spending an hour a day.

Interested in a Virtual Action Group to help with your marketing?
I’ll be announcing shortly the launch of virtual action groups to help small business marketers follow through and implement their marketing better. These virtual action groups will be group coaching sessions where the attendees not only learn what to do in their marketing, but also actually implement it. If you’re interested in learning more, contact me at lipe (at) emergemarketing (dot) com.