When you embark upon a journey into unfamiliar territory – whether it’s the journey of self employment or the journey into online marketing – it’s not unusual to seek an experienced guide to help you find your way.
Unfortunately, when you don’t know what you don’t know – finding someone who does know can be difficult.
Lewis Carroll wrote a tale of a little girl who follows a rabbit down the hole and finds an adventure and “Alice in Wonderland” has become a beloved classic. In the new world Alic discovers, she tries desperately to find a guide to help her find her way home. She wants out of this strange world where the conventional “rules” of logic do not apply. The tale’s style is defined as one of literary nonsense – a “style of literature which plays the rules of logic and reason.
Business Success Formula Nonsense:
According to Wikipedia, the sentence “Colorless green ideas sleep furiously” was coined by Noam Chomsky as an example ofnonsense. The individual words make sense and are arranged according to proper grammar, yet the result is still nonsense.
In A Not-So-Secret Business Success Formula, I provided the following “not so secret” business success formula:
Developing a marketing strategy is as easy as answering the following questions:
- What is it you want to sell?
- Who would want to buy it?
- Why would they want to spend money buying it? (What problem does it solve? What goal does it help them achieve? What desire does it satisfy?)
Once you’ve answered those three questions – the “marketing strategy” comes in.
- Create marketing materials to let those people know the product/service is available.
- Find out where do those people hang out.
- Place your marketing message in front of those people.
I understand that implementing this business success formula is much harder than it might appear – which is why I share it so freely via this blog. I also outline step by step strategies on how to implement this formula in my book Beyond the Niche: Essential Tools You Need to Create Marketing Messages that Deliver Results
Why would I share decades of accumulated wisdom for only $14.95 via Amazon? Because there’s a lot of “creativity and talent” involved in creating successful marketing strategies, not to mention developing and implementing successful marketing tactics.
That’s why I highlighted the video in A Day in the Life of a New Media Consultant or Agency…. as an example of the “curse” of being blessed with an abundance of creativity and marketing savvy and trying to sell that “service” is illustrated in the video.
I recently got an email from a client who asked my opinion on a software program that promises top search engine rankings by simply installing and using their software.
My reply:
I have found that SEO software is a lot like a graphic design software.
I have Adobe Photoshop – I can USE Adobe Photoshop – but that doesn’t mean I can use it create a great logo.
Even though I own and can use Adobe Photoshop – I still used crowd sourcing design to create my logo above.
Blogs are a great way to let those who don’t know what they don’t know – who need to know what you know – know what they need to know to make a wise purchasing decision.
In other words, it’s your job to educate your potential customer or client on WHY they should buy from you. Blogs are a great way to do that.
When you educate customers, you establish trust.
Establishing trust is the REAL reason why you should be using “social media. Social media tools such as blogs do a great job of building trust with potential customers.
Social media marketing is a great way to “sell” your products and services when people don’t know what they need to know.
Need help on implementing this? Use this form to connect.
Cool new logo, yes!
I’ve just finished Tess Marshall’s “Flying By The Seat Of My Soul,” and it’s chock-full of goodies but one thing that really stands out to me, as it relates to buying and selling, and here I paraphrase is, “We get what we want when we give people our best.” So if we find out what we’re good at and get as good at it as we can at it, we can’t help but succeed. People will naturally want what we have to offer.
P.S. My blog has been described as an Alice’s Wonderland’s labyrinthine non-logical place to be. 🙂
Jannie Funsters last blog post..Another chance!
Jannie – THANK YOU for sharing these words of wisdom here:
“So if we find out what we’re good at and get as good at it as we can at it, we can’t help but succeed. People will naturally want what we have to offer.” You’re living proof of that!!!
By the way – non-logical is one thing – nonsense is another!!! Personally, I think your blog is a very “fun and funky” place to be!!!
Building trust through exposing frauds. Bravo I could not agree more! We need to tell it as we see it and build trust through consistency of message. You do a wonderful job of that here.
Let me plug your book. I bought it and I’m reading it and you have been very helpful in illuminating the emotional and psychological triggers that lead to sales. Understanding that kind of stuff hasn’t come easy to me but you do a fine job of explaining it in Beyond the Niche.
Tom Volkar / Delightful Works last blog post..Five Disturbing Ways To Make More Money
Hi Kathy,
I love your response to your client. “…..but that doesn’t mean I can use it create a great logo.” How true. Too often people think if they buy “A” they will get “B”. On the internet we see it all too often.
Although I haven’t read your book, based on the material in your blog and your reputation online, you’ve already built up trust with me. That, to me, is what counts. You’re transparent and aren’t afraid to show it.
Barbara Swaffords last blog post..The Biggest Challenge Of Blogging
Tom – You’re a sweetie.. THANKS for buying the book and thanks for plugging it here!
Barbara – Thanks!! [blushing]. I’m glad you still like me even though I AM transparent!!! 🙂