I thought I would clear up some misconceptions about marketing in
this two-part series: What Marketing Can Do For You and What
Marketing Can't Do For You. This issue is about what marketing
can't do.
While there's no question a solid marketing program can increase
your business, it can't fix everything. Below are 5 things
marketing can't do for you:
1. Marketing can't make you an overnight success. Just because
you start a marketing program doesn't mean you're immediately
going to see your business explode. Marketing is about getting
your name in front of your target market on a regular basis until
they finally decide to give you a try.
On that note, if you're in trouble right now - sales are down, a
new business isn't getting off the ground like you planned --
depending on how bad the trouble is a marketing program may not
be enough to save you. A successful marketing program needs time
to work and more likely than not, a little money as well. If
you're panicked about one (or more likely both) you may need to
start looking at other options.
2. Marketing is not about doing something once and forgetting
about it. The very best marketers test. And test. And test.
For instance, maybe your Web site isn't converting visitors to
customers as well as it should be. You could hire a copywriter to
tweak it for you. You could test the different elements to see
what raises your conversion level. That's one way to use testing.
You can also test different headlines, different offers, etc.
3. Marketing can't fix a bad experience. This is a big one. If
your customers have a lousy experience with your products or
services or with your customer service reps or sales people,
etc., that's it. Worse yet, not only have you lost a customer for
good, that customer will probably tell others about their bad
experience. So now you've lost more potential customers as well.
Marketing can get people in the door, but it can't ensure they'll
have an experience they'll want to repeat. Before assuming more
marketing is what you need, take a moment and make sure your
current customers are truly satisfied with your business.
4. Marketing can't fix a flawed business. Much like tip number 3,
marketing can't fix cash flow issues or staff problems.
Okay, I can hear all of you saying "Of course, marketing can't
fix cash flow problems. Do you think we're stupid?" My answer is
no, I don't think you're stupid at all. I think what happens is
sometimes you get so caught up in the day-to-day challenges of
running a business you can't see the forest for the trees.
Let me explain. Let's say you have a business that's struggling
with cash flow. The first thing that springs to mind may be
revving up marketing. After all, the idea behind marketing is to
increase revenue. On the surface that makes sense. However, if
you look a little closer, what you might find are expenses that
are out of whack or not getting invoices out in a timely manner.
So what you should be fixing is your accounting problems rather
than changing your marketing.
5. Marketing can't make people buy things they either don't want
or can't afford. It doesn't matter how great your product or
service is, if you're selling to people who either don't have the
interest or the means to buy it, then your marketing is going to
fail no matter how brilliant it may be.
So basically it all boils down to this, before you decide you
need more marketing, take a few moments and make sure marketing
is really the right solution for your business.
Creativity Exercise -- Reality Check
Before you launch into a new marketing program, take some time to
analyze what's really happening in your business. Do you really
need a marketing program or is your problem:
* You aren't able to close the leads you have
* You aren't invoicing in a timely manner or following up
with unpaid accounts
* Your customers aren't happy with the product or service
* Your customers are having a bad experience with technical
support or something else in the process isn't working
* Your target market isn't right
* You aren't passionate about what you're doing anymore
* Your business has way too many expenses
And so on. Basically I just want you to make sure marketing
really is your problem before you start fiddling with it.
If you want to grow your business, then you should be
consistently marketing your business. But if you're using
marketing as a bandaid for some other problem, then you could be
headed for trouble.
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