As Americans we like to subscribe to the theory of bigger is better, but that isn’t always true when it comes to marketing. Especially today, in the age of Social Media and total transparency.

You can’t just hit a button and SPAM someone with 50 Tweets, or 10 emails in a week and expect the leads and sales to roll in. It just doesn’t work that way.

I see this time and time again. The tools are so efficient, that is is almost TOO EASY to post the comment, send the email, blast the Tweets, and business owners forget about the best interest of their prospect. They only think of their own need, before putting their prospects and their needs first.

Where less is actually more…

What if, you actually gave your best stuff away. All your secrets, pulled out all the stops and just gave it away. This is often referred to as moving the “Free Line”. Basically to say that when marketing to your ideal client, you should be giving them the best content you have. Help them solve their biggest and hairiest problem. Maybe it through an email, your blog, or maybe you crank a quick video out. But help them solve their biggest problem related to your product or service, or your industry.

Wait a second, that’s my “secret sauce” you say…

I know, it seems counterintuive but that’s hwo you build trust. You want your ideal client to say Holy Cow, if they are GIVING this kind of content away, I wonder what it would be like to be a client.

And that’s where you build your authority and position yourself as an expert.

So, back to less marketing…

Don’t stop marketing, but make sure every interaction, post, and piece of content is the best stuff you have. Do a quick inventory of all the marketing you do and make sure it solves a problem.

One key warning sign is if all of your marketing talks about YOU and not your prospect.

Go Target, Attack, and Profit!

~Matt

SMOT Analysis Marketing

If you aren’t familiar with a SWOT analysis, let me give you high level explanation. It it basically an exercise to identify your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. If you look at the image I have provided, you can see that they are built in quadrants to help you isolate areas that are internal assets or external assets and/or threats to your business.

How the heck does this relate to your marketing strategy?

In my opinion, there are few things you should consider before you dive deep into the SWOT analysis. If you have a better understanding of these things, you will be in a solid position to gather the data for the SWOT analysis and it will be more relevant.

Let’s get started…

1) Who’s Your Target or Ideal Client? – Wouldn’t it make it alot easier to find your threats, strengths, and weaknesses if you knew your target or ideal client? I think so…I like to use an exercise to dive deep into who my target or ideal client is. Take 30 minutes and really get clear on who it is you are marketing to. How old are they? What are their pain points? What does their day look like? Give them a name if you can, and make them real.

Now that we are clear on who we are targeting..

2) Market Research – Sit down and identify all your potential competitors that are targeting your ideal client specifically. As you find competitors that are targeting your exact client identify them as threats. More specifically, how are they a threat. We are basically preparing our data for the SWOT to tie all this togther later.

3) Identify Your Assets – Now that we understand our competitors and our target market you need to take inventory. Take 15-30 minutes and write down all the assets that you have that you would consider strengths in targeting your ideal client. Consider all of those things that are shortfalls in your assets to target your ideal client. When I say assets, I am talking about things like credibility, testimonials, messaging, newsletter lists, partnershipts, etc..Basically anything that will help you reach your target market effectively.

Now you are ready to SWOT…

I find that doing just this small amount of pre-SWOT information gathering gets me clear on who I am trying to reach. Gaps in my message or approach. And a very clear picture as to who else is competing for the minds of my prospect.

Now…

Get to work

Today I went and did a little last minute Holiday shopping. First a stop at Game Stop for some video games for my son. Here’s where the fun began. I responded to a marketing promotion for a new Wii game. They got me! So I’m at Game Stop cash in hand, and I start asking questions about compatibillity of the included controller, and some basic questions regarding the game itself (that was in the promotion mind you). The answer I received was, “sorry we don’t know”. Ok, so I thought this might be just a case of a new un-educated employee…Nope! So, I proceeded to ask the store manager. She then proceeded to tell me that if I bought the game and it didn’t work I couldn’t return it. Perfect, I’m sold.

Hoping this was an isolated case, I continued shopping. On to Brookstone looking for a digital photo album that play video. Front and center and it’s on sale. Perfect. Just a couple questions about compaibility for uploading video and I’m set. A friendly sales associate approaches and I fire away with the video upload questions. She didn’t have the answer, but her co-worker did, she “will be right back” with the answer. Waiting…Waiting…Nope, she didn’t return. I guess they don’t want my business, so I ended up buying it at Target.

Am I that hard to please? I’m starting to think maybe I need a coffee to perk me up. So I grab my coffee where Starbucks nails it as usual. Same cup of $4 coffee I know and love delivered with precision…

One last stop. My wife was looking for a new piece of furniture for the office. Just a quick stop in and out…Oh boy, strike 3 on the day. We find the product we are looking and head up to the counter to purchase the goods. Denied! The sales associate informs us that the server is running too slow to process my card, but they can take cash. Perfect, “where’s the nearest cash machine?”. The answer, “I’m really not sure”…So, we end of leaving with no purchase, no sale, and a sales associate with no commission. What a day…

Is it just me or is this all too common?

Lesson of the day: You can get your customers to know, like, and trust you. You can drive them to your product and service with your marketing efforts but If you don’t deliver the goods they won’t be a customer for long. I have ran into many small business owners with great marketing but their operations, staff, internal delivery couldn’t keep up with the leads they drive into their business.

If this is you, clean up your house before you expand your marketing efforts in 2010. Make sure you keep those hard earned clients and don’t join the sales prevention department.

Go Target, Attack, and Profit!

Enjoy the video, and let me know if you have any questions on how to implement this quick tip.

Facebook Fan Box from John Jantsch on Vimeo.

~Matt

One of my favorite thoughts was that our income is directly porportionate to the amount of VALUE we provide others. For those of us marketing our small businesses on a daily basis, this is one to live by.

God Speed Jim!

Asking is the beginning of receiving. Make sure you don’t go to the ocean with a teaspoon. At least take a bucket so the kids won’t laugh at you.

Miss a meal if you have to, but don’t miss a book.

The few who do are the envy of the many who only watch.

Pity the man who inherits a million dollars and who isn’t a millionaire. Here’s what would be pitiful: If your income grew and you didn’t.

The key factor that will determine your financial future is not the economy; the key factor is your philosophy.

The solution…

Wow, I wish I had one. I have made of couple of realizations. Will power isn’t enough. Time Management systems are somewhat flawed as many of them reside on your computer where used to find myself getting sucked back into my computer ending up in an endless OCD computer loop. I picked up a book written by Kevin Hogan recently called “The 168 Hour Work Week”, which in my opinion is the most simple system to get stuff done I have seen. Pick it up and read that book!

You are probably asking “How Is This Related To Small Business Marketing“….It does, trust me. Your marketing should be a system, and your system won’t work if you don’t get militant about the use of your time and actually get the tasks done consistently. A daily or weekly blog post, a daily twitter post, a newsletter, whatever it is…just get it done.

Here’s a small exercise…For one day, write down everything you accomplished today. Next go through that list and put a star next to everything that actually made you money, or was a task that will put money in your pocket in the future. I was shocked when I did this exercise.

Protect your time, take action, and watch as your leads increase and your profits grow.

Now…

Go Target, Attack, and Profit!

~Matt

My son had caught on to the theory of reciprocity, and the “like” component of the “know, like, and trust” mantra of the Duct Tape Marketing system. He said, “Dad, it’s easy….when we go to the houses with all the big decorations, I compliment them on how cool they are”…Wow! I swear I didn’t teach him that one. But better yet, there was timing involved, so he continued. “But….you have to compliment them right before they are putting their hand into the candy jar.” I might be working for my son some day, but I guess that shouldn’t freak me out too bad.

After chewing on his approach, it was a a good reminder and lesson that I think far too many business owners forget. Many times we have to give before we can receive. We get so caught up in our needs, and forget that our clients have needs too. Even a small compliment might do it. Our clients and prospects want to feel “liked” and they need to “like and trust” us to exchange their hard earned money for our product or service.

I’d say the technique worked. After counting the candy stash, my older son had about 70 more pieces than the little Werewolf which I don’t believe was an accident.

To Your Success,

Matt