|
Article Directory
|
+ Authors
+ Articles
|
|
|
|
Dealing with Uncertainty in Marketing
Copyright (c) 2010-2012 Judy Murdoch
So often a business owner will say to me that they "hate" marketing.
If you are a small business owner who "hates" marketing or even feels a sense of uneasiness when you contemplate marketing for your business, this article is dedicated to you.
======================================
Why Business Owners H8 Marketing
======================================
Once you get past the "nameless dread" business owners feel about marketing, some interesting issues surface:
1. Marketing Just Isn't Their "Thing"
2. They're Not Really Sure What They Should Be Doing
3. They Wonder Whether Their Large Investment of Time, Effort, and Money Will Really Pay Off
If you hate marketing because it just isn't your thing, I'm not going to try talking you out of that. I believe we're best off playing to our strengths.
However, you'll need to find and pay someone else to do your marketing. If you can't or won't outsource marketing, seriously consider whether you want to own a business.
If you hate marketing because you're not really sure what you should be doing, rejoice because there's a lot of good support for learning and practicing marketing skills: books, classes, and coaches.
If you hate marketing because it feels so darn vague and risky...ah...read on.
There are things you can do to reduce that uncertainty and get more comfortable with risk as a natural component of the marketing process.
======================================
Risk is Inherent in Marketing
======================================
Prior to starting my business I spent more than a decade working for large consumer products companies. I worked in the research department and my job was to study customers so the people who were planning and producing products would maximize the chances that customers would buy.
Note I said "maximize the chances" rather than "make buying a sure thing."
Because even giant companies spending millions using customer research in their marketing decisions will never tell you marketing is a sure thing.
It's like the batting averages in baseball. No one, not the greatest hitter of all time ever hits every pitch.
Hitting one ball out of three is considered spectacular. Hitting one ball out of four is average.
This is very important to keep in mind: that in all your marketing efforts, you will rarely, if ever, get great results the first time you attempt to market your offer.
More often, you'll begin seeing real results on your 3rd or 4th go.
You can, however, improve your chances to succeed faster.
======================================
How to Improve Your Odds
======================================
The good news is, in fact, there are many, simple, inexpensive ways to improve your marketing and improve your chances of people responding.
#1 Numbers Matter
The more impersonal your marketing approach the the larger the number of people who need to see your offer. For email offers having 1% of your list purchase is normal.
If you are enrolling for a ten-person class and you have 200 people on your mailing list, you need to use other, more personal methods to fill your class.
Lesson: to improve the odds of internet marketing success, build your list.
#2 Make Improvement Your Objective; Not Perfection
Please oh please don't wait until your offer is perfect. If you've checked for typos, made certain that details are correct and the links work, get your offer out to people.
Lesson: It's not about hitting the first ball, or even the second ball, it's about showing up, seeing how people respond, and tweaking.
#3 Find Out What Worked and Didn't Work
Ask some of the people who received your offer:
Did they even see the offer to begin with
Did they know what the offer was for?
Were they interested in your offer?
Did they open and read your email
Did they click on the link and go to the place where they could get more information, sign up, etc.
And at each point, ask "how come" with the sincere intention to find out what didn't work.
The sincere intention bit is very important. If you're talking to someone who fits your "ideal customer" you don't want them to gloss over what didn't work. Tell them you want their input so you can be of service and help them and businesses like them.
And remember to thank them for their help.
Lesson: Ask for honest input, don't defend or explain, and listen carefully.
#4. Use the Suggestions that Make Sense
You don't need to use every suggestion that crosses your path.
As the owner of your business, it's important that you make sure each nugget of advice makes sense for your budget and communication style. And that your heart says "yes."
If it doesn't make sense; if your heart doesn't go along, you won't fully own the actions you take to improve your marketing and you won't get the results you want.
Lesson: make sure your intuition and heart are fully engaged before you act on a suggestion.
======================================
Bottom Line
======================================
If you're a small business owner and find yourself avoiding marketing because it seems like tons of work with no guaranteed results, take heart.
Although uncertainty is inherent in marketing because we can't perfectly predict how people will respond there are things you can do to improve the odds of getting good results.
It also helps to remember that you're in the same boat as every other business owner. Regardless of what you might hear, it's near impossible to hit every promotion "out of the park" every time.
The successful marketers know it's about putting your offer out there and improving your offer based on feedback; sometimes two or three times.
Judy Murdoch helps small business owners create low-cost, effective marketing campaigns using word-of-mouth referrals, guerrilla marketing activities, and selected strategic alliances. To download a free copy of the workbook, "Where Does it Hurt? Marketing Solutions to the problems that Drive Your Customers Crazy!" go to http://www.judymurdoch.com/workbook.htm
You can contact Judy at 303-475-2015 or judy@judymurdoch.com
|
Follow "The Phantom Writers" on Twitter
(@phantomwriters)
to be notified when new articles are made available.
VOTE ON THIS ARTICLE
Needs Work >>
0 -
1 -
2 -
3 -
4 -
5
<< Excellent Article
Tell our authors what you think about their article.
|
Top-Level Category: Business Online Articles || Related Categories: Business Offline Articles
10 Most Recent Articles Written by Judy Murdoch
Blog Posts Versus Email - Which is Better for Marketing?
Written by: Judy Murdoch |
Distributed: 2010-11-04 |
Word Count: 932 |
Page Views: 918
Up until fairly recently, when you wanted to keep in touch
with customers and prospects, you used email to send
periodic messages to people who opted-in to receive your
mailings. People are suggesting that with the rise of
blogging, that the death knell of email is upon us. This
article will consider the demise of opt-in email as the best
way to communicate with your customers.
Is This Such A Thing As An Info Product in a Day?
Written by: Judy Murdoch |
Distributed: 2010-11-02 |
Word Count: 1028 |
Page Views: 802
There are lots of books and programs promising you that you
can "create a product in a day." You can create a product
that you can sell to customers in the time it takes to, say,
get your car washed, go to the post office, get through your
email, and fix dinner. How totally cool would that be?
Why Ker-chunk Needs to Proceed Ker-ching
Written by: Judy Murdoch |
Distributed: 2010-08-03 |
Word Count: 1010 |
Page Views: 832
This morning I was working with a client who was feeling
some frustration around defining the niche for their
business: "Why is picking a niche so hard?" my client
wanted to know.
Guerrilla Marketing: About Love Not War
Written by: Judy Murdoch |
Distributed: 2010-07-29 |
Word Count: 1061 |
Page Views: 1202
| Votes: 1 |
Rating: 4.00
"Guerrilla Marketing" is a term coined by Jay Conrad
Levinson in his 1984 book: Guerrilla Marketing: Secrets for
Making Big Profits for Your Small Business. The term is a
spin on "Guerrilla Warfare," war tactics used by small,
often indigenous armies fighting larger, better equipped
invaders.
What Marketing Do You REALLY Need Right Now?
Written by: Judy Murdoch |
Distributed: 2010-04-22 |
Word Count: 1224 |
Page Views: 884
Many small business owners I talk to always seem to be
playing catch up when it comes to their marketing. Last week
when I told a small business owner that she was doing a good
job with her marketing, she replied "Oh, but I have so much
to do!" in an apologetic tone. Listening to her I felt sad.
I mean who the heck laid down these requirements that a
small business has to have so much in place so fast?
Keys to Attracting Win-Win Strategic Alliances
Written by: Judy Murdoch |
Distributed: 2010-04-20 |
Word Count: 908 |
Page Views: 954
The most potent marketing strategy for any small business
owner is not a great website, or lots of Facebook friends,
or a killer networking plan. The marketing strategy that
will get you faster and farther than anything else put
together is developing strategic alliances with other
businesses so you can promote each others products and
services.
How to Persuade Without Really Trying
Written by: Judy Murdoch |
Distributed: 2010-01-19 |
Word Count: 1170 |
Page Views: 778
| Votes: 1 |
Rating: 2.00
Recently, the owner of a consulting practice contacted me.
In the email, she said that she needed an easier, more
predictable way to find ideal prospects. She had already
tried a lot of different things but nothing worked. So we
set up a meeting so I could learn more about her situation
and whether I could help. In this article, I will share with
you what "I" learned...
How Numbers Matter in Marketing
Written by: Judy Murdoch |
Distributed: 2010-01-14 |
Word Count: 1388 |
Page Views: 683
| Votes: 2 |
Rating: 2.50
I typically write a lot more about the "human side of
marketing," because I think topics like trust, sincerity,
and emotions get overlooked in most marketing advice
discussions. And no matter how clever your copy and fail
safe your system, neglect trust building and you will have
to work twice as hard at your marketing for half the
results. But that doesn't mean you can ignore the numbers
side of marketing. In this article I talk about why numbers
are important and how to make them work in your marketing.
Why Marketing for Services Stinks (and How to Make Sure Yours Doesn't)
Written by: Judy Murdoch |
Distributed: 2010-01-12 |
Word Count: 1386 |
Page Views: 765
| Votes: 1 |
Rating: 1.00
One of the greatest challenges of doing business in a
"knowledge economy" is selling what is intangible. If you
are a coach, a consultant, an alternative health
practitioner, or any other business owner who is selling a
service, you know how difficult it is to come up with an
effective message that gets across why someone should hire
you...
Using The Moment of Truth to Get Prospects Attention
Written by: Judy Murdoch |
Distributed: 2009-12-30 |
Word Count: 940 |
Page Views: 725
| Votes: 2 |
Rating: 1.50
The best message in the world will fail if prospects read it
out of context. If prospects see your message at a time when
they aren't concerned with the problem your product solves,
they will ignore it. Your message might as well be
invisible. Context is about making sure prospects see your
message at the "moment of truth": the time when they are
most aware of their problem and looking for solutions.
All of Author's Articles on this site: Judy Murdoch Articles
Most Recent "Business Online" Articles
Sell Yourself, Not Your Products or Services
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2012-01-02 |
Word Count: 989 |
Page Views: 2754
| Votes: 5 |
Rating: 4.00
Sell yourself, not your products or services. The point we
need to make is that your products and services will change
over time as your business adapts to the realities of the
marketplace.
Work From Home - Make Money Online With EBay Store
Written by: David Miller |
Distributed: 2011-12-12 |
Word Count: 2105 |
Page Views: 352
| Votes: 1 |
Rating: 2.00
Find out how to present your items, as well as other key factors
to profit from your eBay Store.
Bring Your Photography To Life With Stunning Video
Written by: Adam Harding |
Distributed: 2011-12-12 |
Word Count: 684 |
Page Views: 458
I want to let you in on my little secret. It is about how I bring
photographs to life by creating professional video slideshows
that look like they cost hundreds of dollars.
Leveraging the Social in Social Media
Written by: Enzo F. Cesario |
Distributed: 2011-09-21 |
Word Count: 907 |
Page Views: 394
| Votes: 1 |
Rating: 1.00
Social media marketing is about the conversation, not the
pitch. Having conversations with people is nice, but the
goal of a brand is ultimately to get people interested in
spending their time or money on the brand, after all. What
does having this conversation accomplish, and just how does
a brand use that conversation to get the critical conversion
from conversation to customers?
Blog Writing - Finding the Right Person
Written by: Enzo F. Cesario |
Distributed: 2011-09-21 |
Word Count: 884 |
Page Views: 630
There are a host of articles and sites covering advice on
how to address various topics, but one area that doesn't
get a lot of attention is what "person" to write the blog
in. Each linguistic person has its own strengths and
weaknesses, depending on the message that needs to be
covered. Ultimately, most will simply write in whatever
person is most natural to them, but there is some merit in
taking a bit of time to think about the implications,
advantages and disadvantages of each.
That First Impression: Title Considerations
Written by: Enzo F. Cesario |
Distributed: 2011-09-19 |
Word Count: 860 |
Page Views: 355
While it certainly isn't as much work as crafting the body
of a superior article, selecting a title for a piece is
definitely an important element of the entire process of
content creation. Here are some thoughts on crafting a
perfect title.
5 Tips For Writing Great Content For Your Blog
Written by: Lee Dobbins |
Distributed: 2011-09-16 |
Word Count: 987 |
Page Views: 405
If you want people to come back to your blog over and over
again, then you need to provide great web content. This may
seem like an impossible task if you aren’t a natural born
writer. Here are 5 tips that will help even the least
experienced writer create blog content that will entice even
first time visitors to become frequent readers.
Understanding Cloud Computing for SMBs
Written by: Audre Hill |
Distributed: 2011-09-16 |
Word Count: 449 |
Page Views: 513
| Votes: 2 |
Rating: 5.00
The buzz about cloud migration, or taking your business to the
cloud, is all over the internet. But the geek speak and sales
hype make understanding the cloud difficult for small and
mid-sized business owners. Read this to clear up your cloud
confusion.
Dynamic Content: Using Analytics to Write Your Blog
Written by: Enzo F. Cesario |
Distributed: 2011-09-16 |
Word Count: 873 |
Page Views: 425
The role of web analytics in setting useful metrics for a
site has been discussed in-depth in any number of places,
but this is far from the only useful function that web
analytic practices can offer. As in any field, a little
thinking outside the box can offer extensive rewards to the
creative researcher. Perhaps most usefully, creative
cultivation of web analytics can help conquer blogger's
block and help a good writer come up with some unique angles
for content they thought they had peaked out on.
Social Media Marketing Tools – Putting Your Finger on the Pulse of the Web
Written by: Enzo F. Cesario |
Distributed: 2011-09-14 |
Word Count: 856 |
Page Views: 343
Social media marketing is the home of successful brand
promotion, and finding the right mix of tools to take
advantage of it has become the defining issue of the modern
brand. Knowing the focus of each of these tools and the best
way to use them is the key to bringing all this power under
control and using it to help promote a brand to its full
potential.
Most Viewed "Business Online" Articles
Attracting Readers to your Book
Written by: Alastair Hall |
Distributed: 2006-05-18 |
Word Count: 708 |
Page Views: 42520
| Votes: 9 |
Rating: 2.11
One of the common and obvious ways to market a self-published
book is having your own website. The harder part is how to
attract your target audience and then convert the sale.
How To Make Visitors Bookmark Your Site
Written by: Cheryl Miller |
Distributed: 2006-10-10 |
Word Count: 536 |
Page Views: 34815
| Votes: 13 |
Rating: 2.38
When visitors bookmark your site it is a sign that you have built
a great website and are pleasing them. Visitors think highly
enough of your site to want to return and possibly tell others
about it. You are not only increasing traffic from your existing
clientele you are encouraging new traffic by means of viral
marketing.
Treat Online 'Guests' With Respect
Written by: Rick Sloboda |
Distributed: 2007-07-27 |
Word Count: 472 |
Page Views: 27199
| Votes: 25 |
Rating: 3.76
Does your website show your customers lack of respect? Review the
following checklist to find out.
How I Got 70,000 Useless Visitors To My Site In One Day! (One Internet Marketer's Analysis of Social Bookmark Traffic)
Written by: Titus Hoskins |
Distributed: 2007-11-06 |
Word Count: 1545 |
Page Views: 23763
| Votes: 8 |
Rating: 2.13
Is social bookmark traffic useless? Is it even worth cultivating
for your site? Can it be used from an online marketing
perspective? Read to discover one Internet Marketer's analysis
of social bookmark/media traffic...
Successful Article Marketers Help Readers Solve Problems
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2008-10-29 |
Word Count: 816 |
Page Views: 18813
| Votes: 23 |
Rating: 3.26
Every week, I have the opportunity to speak with people about the
benefits and challenges of using article marketing to promote an
online business. Article marketing is about getting your sales
message in front of potential customers and to get links to your
website. Many interpret this to mean that an article should
directly promote a website within the article, but that approach
is wrong and will reduce one's success using this methodology.
Tips For Building Your First Website
Written by: Benny Tsabba |
Distributed: 2007-05-30 |
Word Count: 1511 |
Page Views: 14635
| Votes: 9 |
Rating: 2.00
New people are coming online everyday. And many of those people
desire to turn their spare time into spare cash. So begins their
journey.
Successful Forum JVs and How To Get Them
Written by: Diana Barnum |
Distributed: 2006-06-15 |
Word Count: 648 |
Page Views: 6635
| Votes: 11 |
Rating: 2.18
The forming of common alliances, also referred to as a joint
venture (JV), happens nearly every day in the business world.
One of the most popular means of linking people up online of so
that they can work together on their projects is via forums,
where people of all levels of business and expertise post in
common threads.
Increasing Productivity In Your Online Business
Written by: Willie Crawford |
Distributed: 2006-06-14 |
Word Count: 1407 |
Page Views: 4327
| Votes: 32 |
Rating: 3.72
Running an online "empire" of approximately 1600 websites and
blogs, selling a variety of products, services and ideas, I
have to be much more productive than the average person in a
"regular job."
Who Else Wants to Know How-To Write an Effective Advertisement?
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2011-08-25 |
Word Count: 1431 |
Page Views: 4296
| Votes: 22 |
Rating: 2.59
Webmasters struggle everyday with the question of how they should
advertise their website. There are so many advertising venues; it
is hard to know which is the right venue or the right combination
of advertising venues.
A Recent Issue Of Playboy Revealed...
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2010-01-19 |
Word Count: 1658 |
Page Views: 4215
| Votes: 1 |
Rating: 4.00
If you have ever spent money trying to use article
marketing, and you failed to generate any measurable success
with your articles, then this article will show you why you
most likely failed to see your articles generate a solid
return-on-investment for your online business...
Highest Ranked "Business Online" Articles
What Kind Of Backlinks Are Best At Helping Your Website In Google?
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2009-11-09 |
Word Count: 439 |
Page Views: 1820
| Votes: 5 |
Rating: 4.80
I was in the Warrior Forum, and someone asked what kinds of
Backlinks are worth pursuing. This is my answer to that
query.
How to Keep Your Article Content Fresh and Interesting
Written by: Craig Ritsema |
Distributed: 2006-08-29 |
Word Count: 699 |
Page Views: 2155
| Votes: 17 |
Rating: 4.18
Webmasters everywhere are constantly on the lookout for fresh and
interesting content for their website. Along with these content
qualities is the requirement that it be unique. Everyone wants
their website to stand out above the others in the search engine
results. So what is the trick for you to keep a steady supply of
this quality content coming your way?
Is Your Business 'Out Of Site'? Employ The Ultimate Marketing Tool
Written by: Rick Sloboda |
Distributed: 2007-01-09 |
Word Count: 445 |
Page Views: 2200
| Votes: 19 |
Rating: 4.16
With the rapid expansion of the digital economy, the web site is
conceivably the most powerful marketing and sales tool you can employ.
Find out what a web site can do for you.
How To Use Your Race To Get Rich
Written by: Herbert Harris |
Distributed: 2009-07-07 |
Word Count: 1407 |
Page Views: 2573
| Votes: 40 |
Rating: 4.05
Amid recent news reports that there continues to be an ongoing
and substantial gap between the net worth of Whites and other
racial groups, it is easy to be distracted and overwhelmed by the
raw data. However, I am immediately reminded of a quote offered
by an economic expert from the past... "There are lies, damned
lies, and statistics!"
Secrets of Domain Parking - An Innovative and Easier Way to Make Money
Written by: John Khu |
Distributed: 2009-02-27 |
Word Count: 484 |
Page Views: 1392
| Votes: 7 |
Rating: 4.00
Using a good domain parking services to monetize expired domain
names seems to be a neglected aspect with a number of domain
names traders. Domain parking is also an unfamiliar concept to
many inexperienced domain name traders. Read this article to
better understand domain parking and how it can be of benefit to
you.
Expired Domain Gains - Simple Ideas to Create an Income Base
Written by: John Khu |
Distributed: 2009-07-31 |
Word Count: 549 |
Page Views: 3232
| Votes: 14 |
Rating: 4.00
You can use a number of simple methods and plans to create a
solid income base that earns a monthly ongoing income base.
For many expired domain entrepreneurs (both full-time and
part time), expired domains offer an opportunity to
supplement their current income with money earned out of
dealing with expired domains.
Sell Yourself, Not Your Products or Services
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2012-01-02 |
Word Count: 989 |
Page Views: 2754
| Votes: 5 |
Rating: 4.00
Sell yourself, not your products or services. The point we
need to make is that your products and services will change
over time as your business adapts to the realities of the
marketplace.
The Most Important Ingredient for Info Product Success (is You)
Written by: Judy Murdoch |
Distributed: 2008-04-15 |
Word Count: 981 |
Page Views: 1429
| Votes: 13 |
Rating: 3.92
Last week I was attending a conference and mentioned to someone I
help small business owners create information products. The other
person was very friendly until I said "information products."
Then the temperature in the room dropped about 10-degrees
How To Build A Website That Will Rank Well In The Search Engines?
Written by: Fred Schebesta |
Distributed: 2007-04-23 |
Word Count: 1064 |
Page Views: 2132
| Votes: 9 |
Rating: 3.89
Redeveloping your website can be a real challenge when you assume
your web designers and developers understand search engine
marketing. Unfortunately this is not usually the case. Most
designers are great at making pretty pictures and developers are
great at making great technology. But pretty pictures and great
technology don't necessarily give you great search engine
results.
How to Prosper Beyond Virtual Real Estate
Written by: Kamau Austin |
Distributed: 2006-10-17 |
Word Count: 1263 |
Page Views: 1593
| Votes: 7 |
Rating: 3.86
We explore virtual real estate (VRE) sites as sites primarily
embedded with Google Adsense(tm) or Yahoo Publisher's Network (YPN)
ads.
|
|
|
Article Reprint Rights
|
This work is
licensed under a
Creative Commons
License
You are not required to show the creative commons license notice when you reprint this work.
|
|
Home
for Writers
for Publishers
Article Directory
Article Search
Contact
Get RSS Feed
