Marketing. The very word often instills fear, dread and terror into small business owners and sole proprietors. Marketing often seems like a vague, “shot in the dark,” event that you pray fervently about. There often seems to be no rhyme or reasoning when it comes to marketing – sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.
If you’ve read books, attended seminars and sat at the feet of endless marketing gurus, but the topic still confuses you, here’s something that might be missing in your marketing effort – you! No matter how many techniques and methods you study, at the end of the day if you’re personality and style is not in your marketing, it won’t work. Marketing is a reflection of who you are – it’s an invitation for people to connect with you and what you have to offer. If you’re marketing puts out one image and people find you completely different, you’re not going to attract the right audience.
So, consider all your research into marketing just that – research. Now that you’ve done all your research and you’ve learned about all these ways to market, including email marketing, flyers, ads, radio spots, networking, demonstrations and more, decide what suits your style. If you don’t like to talk to a lot of people all the time, you probably don’t want to go door-to-door shaking people’s hands. If you’re nervous about talking on the phone with strangers, avoid cold calling on the phone. If, on the other hand, you drive around all the time (if you’re a mom for instance), flyers might be perfect for you. You can post them on bulletin boards in restaurants, gas stations and daycare centers. You can also hand them out to other moms that you meet. Get it? Your marketing has to be about you and fit your life like a glove.
No matter what kind of marketing strategy you choose, stick with it for a while – at least 6 months. It often takes a while for word to get around about who you are and what you offer. Make sure you can afford to stick with your strategy for a while. Whatever you choose, if you believe it works and you stick with it, it will work. It’s Law of Attraction and common sense all rolled into one. Happy hunting!
Need Help?
Want to get your feet wet with marketing but don’t know how? If you’d like to own your own business but don’t know how to promote, let us hear from you. We specialize in helping people develop successful businesses using lifestyle-friendly marketing. For a more information, email us. We’ll get right back to you!
