Small Business Marketing Are You Marketing with a Net or a Spear
Small Business Marketing Are You Marketing with a Net or a Spear
I learned as much as I could about the fishing industry: working on boats, at the docks and in canneries. I learned that one of the popular techniques used by commercial fishing companies is to cast huge nets between ships miles apart and drag them through the sea capturing anything unfortunate enough to get snarled. While this technique netted prolific amounts of fish, the vast majority of the catch could not be sold at the market.
What a waste! Not only do these companies unnecessarily deplete a precious natural resource they also waste their valuable time and energy setting and hauling in nets and then sorting through their catch to identify and pluck marketable fish from the masses.
While large fishing companies can afford to expend their resources in such a manner, as a small business owner, you would be ill advised to follow such a path when fishing for new clients. Small business marketing tactics must be much more precise and efficient to be viable.
Did you get your FREE copy of Jumpstart Marketing? It features marketing ideas, plans and strategies you can use to grow your business. Request your FREE copy.
To continue our fishing example, consider a tribesman from a pacific island. Instead of employing large nets a tribal fisherman will stand and wait, knee deep in water known to be plentiful with the type of fish he seeks with only a spear in hand. When a fish swims by he lunges with his spear and voila! Dinner is served, or at least caught. The tribesman’s method is highly efficient and effective.
The methods you employ when marketing your small business or professional service firm should minimize waste and maximize sales.
Are you using a marketing net or a marketing spear to find new customers?
Size Matters
A marketing net can take many forms. One of the most common forms of marketing with a net is investing in the belief that the larger the group you market to the better the chance of developing new business. This type of thinking could not be farther removed from reality. You can much more effectively generate quality leads and sales by focusing your marketing efforts on a smaller yet highly specific audience.
If you’ve ever placed a display ad in your local newspaper, paid for banner advertising on a popular web site or paid for a radio or TV commercial only to be disappointed by a meager response there is good reason dissatisfaction.
While there were likely a few potential clients who saw or heard your ad the vast majority of those you reached simply had no need for your products or services. What’s more, those who might indeed have a need for your product or service were likely not actively seeking what you sell at the moment they saw your ad.
You can improve the response to your advertising by marketing to a smaller but more focused audience. Your ad will not only appear in front of those who have a need for what you sell, it will be seen by more people who are actively seeking what you provide.
Take some time to identify periodicals and other ad vehicles that serve your market and fit your budget and then place your ads in front of a smaller but more specialized audience. You will sell more and get more for your advertising dollar. It’s amazing what a spear can do.
Did you get your FREE copy of Jumpstart Marketing? It features marketing ideas, plans and strategies you can use to grow your business. Request your FREE copy.
Sharpness Matters Too
Even if you trade in your marketing net for a spear (focus your market) your marketing results may still be disappointing if your spear is dull - you may squarely hit a fish with the tip of your spear but if it is not sharp the fish may squirm away.
You can perpetually keep your spear sharp with an outstanding marketing message. Your marketing message should speak directly to your buyers and clearly communicate why they should buy from you. If it does not your future customers won’t ever take notice of you, even if you are the ideal solution for their needs.
Many small business owners use a poor and ineffective marketing message because they do not fully appreciate the value of a good one. A strong marketing message will be noticed by those most likely to become your clients and will work to get your prospects to take the action you want them to take: visit your store or web site, contact you for more information and ultimately, buy from you.
Take some time to examine your marketing message. If you get the sense that it isn’t very focused, it probably isn’t. What words and phrases can you use to sharpen it up?
Move Your Marketing Forward
Get rid of your net and sharpen you spear. Even if you hate to fish or have never gone fishing, you’ll find yourself looking forward to every opportunity to wade into knee deep water.
Small Business Marketing Are You Marketing with a Net or a Spear - To learn more about this author, visit Jeremy Cohen's Website.
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When I was back in college, over a decade ago, I decided that when I was done I would run off to Alaska and work in the fishing industry. The lure of hard menial labor and the outdoorsman’s life seemed so tantalizing to me after having toiled away in academia, not just for the past four years, but for most of my life.
I learned as much as I could about the fishing industry: working on boats, at the docks and in canneries. I learned that one of the popular techniques used by commercial fishing companies is to cast huge nets between ships miles apart and drag them through the sea capturing anything unfortunate enough to get snarled. While this technique netted prolific amounts of fish, the vast majority of the catch could not be sold at the market.
What a waste! Not only do these companies unnecessarily deplete a precious natural resource they also waste their valuable time and energy setting and hauling in nets and then sorting through their catch to identify and pluck marketable fish from the masses.
While large fishing companies can afford to expend their resources in such a manner, as a small business owner, you would be ill advised to follow such a path when fishing for new clients. Small business marketing tactics must be much more precise and efficient to be viable.
Did you get your FREE copy of Jumpstart Marketing? It features marketing ideas, plans and strategies you can use to grow your business. Request your FREE copy.
To continue our fishing example, consider a tribesman from a pacific island. Instead of employing large nets a tribal fisherman will stand and wait, knee deep in water known to be plentiful with the type of fish he seeks with only a spear in hand. When a fish swims by he lunges with his spear and voila! Dinner is served, or at least caught. The tribesman’s method is highly efficient and effective.
The methods you employ when marketing your small business or professional service firm should minimize waste and maximize sales.
Are you using a marketing net or a marketing spear to find new customers?
Size Matters
A marketing net can take many forms. One of the most common forms of marketing with a net is investing in the belief that the larger the group you market to the better the chance of developing new business. This type of thinking could not be farther removed from reality. You can much more effectively generate quality leads and sales by focusing your marketing efforts on a smaller yet highly specific audience.
If you’ve ever placed a display ad in your local newspaper, paid for banner advertising on a popular web site or paid for a radio or TV commercial only to be disappointed by a meager response there is good reason dissatisfaction.
While there were likely a few potential clients who saw or heard your ad the vast majority of those you reached simply had no need for your products or services. What’s more, those who might indeed have a need for your product or service were likely not actively seeking what you sell at the moment they saw your ad.
You can improve the response to your advertising by marketing to a smaller but more focused audience. Your ad will not only appear in front of those who have a need for what you sell, it will be seen by more people who are actively seeking what you provide.
Take some time to identify periodicals and other ad vehicles that serve your market and fit your budget and then place your ads in front of a smaller but more specialized audience. You will sell more and get more for your advertising dollar. It’s amazing what a spear can do.
Did you get your FREE copy of Jumpstart Marketing? It features marketing ideas, plans and strategies you can use to grow your business. Request your FREE copy.
Sharpness Matters Too
Even if you trade in your marketing net for a spear (focus your market) your marketing results may still be disappointing if your spear is dull - you may squarely hit a fish with the tip of your spear but if it is not sharp the fish may squirm away.
You can perpetually keep your spear sharp with an outstanding marketing message. Your marketing message should speak directly to your buyers and clearly communicate why they should buy from you. If it does not your future customers won’t ever take notice of you, even if you are the ideal solution for their needs.
Many small business owners use a poor and ineffective marketing message because they do not fully appreciate the value of a good one. A strong marketing message will be noticed by those most likely to become your clients and will work to get your prospects to take the action you want them to take: visit your store or web site, contact you for more information and ultimately, buy from you.
Take some time to examine your marketing message. If you get the sense that it isn’t very focused, it probably isn’t. What words and phrases can you use to sharpen it up?
Move Your Marketing Forward
Get rid of your net and sharpen you spear. Even if you hate to fish or have never gone fishing, you’ll find yourself looking forward to every opportunity to wade into knee deep water.
Small Business Marketing Are You Marketing with a Net or a Spear - To learn more about this author, visit Jeremy Cohen's Website.
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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John AlexanderJohn has taught keyword research and SEO skills to small groups of business owners and Webmasters from over 80 different countries world wide since 2002. John is also the Director of Search Engine Academy ; Co-director of Training at Search Engine Workshops offering live, SEO Workshops with his partner SEO educator Robin Nobles, author of the very first comprehensive online search engine marketing courses at SEO Training Online and the SEO Workshop Resource Center. I look forward to hearing from you! - Visit John Alexander's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Joe DagerJoe Dager is President of Business901, a progressive coaching company providing no-nonsense direction in areas such as Lean Six Sigma Marketing and organized referral marketing. What others say: In the past 20 years, Joe and I have collaborated on many difficult issues. Joe’s ability to combine his expertise with “out of the box” thinking is unsurpassed. He has always delivered quickly, cost effectively and with ingenuity. A brilliant mind that is always a pleasure to work with.” - James R. If you want to learn more about Business901, start a conversation with us. We can be found @ Web/Blog: Business901.com Web/Blog: FundingYourNonprofit.com LinkedIn Profile Follow me on Twitter - Visit Joe Dager's Website |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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