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Sifting Through the Marketing Chaos
| Guest post by: Cidnee Stephen |
Article Overview: I was having lunch with a peer the other day and we were talking about how incredibly different today's marketing tactics are from even 5 years ago. Quite frankly all these new shiny objects seem to be overwhelming small businesses instead of helping them grow their client base.
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Free Download - Where to focus in 2012 By Cidnee Stephen |
Sifting Through the Marketing Chaos
I was having lunch with a peer the other day and we were talking about how incredibly different today's marketing tactics are from even 5 years ago. Quite frankly all these new shiny objects seem to be overwhelming small businesses instead of helping them grow their client base. This isn't because they are in ineffective, but because there are so many, and business owners are unclear as to what the heck they are supposed to be doing with them. Here's what I hear a lot lately. Do any of these sound familiar to you?
Do I need a Google+ Business page now? I don't even know what Google+ is.
I'm on Facebook and posting regularly but not seeing any results.
I hate my website! Should changing it be my main focus?
I am 10 pages away from the first page of Google - I need to fix this now!
Direct Mail is dead.
I will NEVER Twitter.
I'm on LinkedIn but I really don't want to connect with ½ those people approaching me!
I've tried EVERYTHING and NOTHING works!
It's sad. There have never been more affordable and effective marketing tools at the fingertips of small businesses, and yet here we are - overworked, overwhelmed and feeling completely FRUSTRATED!
You know I'm going to tell you to start with strategy. Strategy always pays off. You know I'm going to also tell you to get your branding and content strong and consistent so you are effective in converting leads. ONCE you have done this and are READY for TACTICS then.....
Take a deep breath, relax and regroup. There is a great analogy you may have heard. "How do you eat an elephant (or for you vegetarians, think an entire vegetable patch)?" The Answer - "One Bite At A Time." It's time to stop trying to eat the elephant for tonight's dinner and determine what bite you want to take first.
In other words you want to avoid being the Jack of all Marketing tactics, the master of none. You don't need to master them all to be successful. Pick 1 - 3 you want to master this year - that's it!
So where do you start?
Start with one(s) that you enjoyandone(s) that provides you a big bang for your buck (and your time)
You might be thinking okay I know what I enjoy, but how the HECK do I know if it's going to pay off?
Ask yourself this:
Do I feel I have control over the results (in other words, where I do it, how much I do, when I do it, etc.)?
Can I afford to do it consistently both in time & money - day or week in & day or week out?
Do I know other business owners similar to me who have had results doing this activity that I can glean advice from or pay to help me?
If you can answer yes to these 3 questions...you are on the right track to finding a high pay off activity. Start there, stick with it and let the other shiny objects sit in your toy box for now!
Feel free to use this article as long as you include the following:
by Cidnee Stephen of Strategies for Success
Related ArticlesI'm on Facebook and posting regularly but not seeing any results.
I hate my website! Should changing it be my main focus?
I am 10 pages away from the first page of Google - I need to fix this now!
Direct Mail is dead.
I will NEVER Twitter.
I'm on LinkedIn but I really don't want to connect with ½ those people approaching me!
I've tried EVERYTHING and NOTHING works!
It's sad. There have never been more affordable and effective marketing tools at the fingertips of small businesses, and yet here we are - overworked, overwhelmed and feeling completely FRUSTRATED!
You know I'm going to tell you to start with strategy. Strategy always pays off. You know I'm going to also tell you to get your branding and content strong and consistent so you are effective in converting leads. ONCE you have done this and are READY for TACTICS then.....
Take a deep breath, relax and regroup. There is a great analogy you may have heard. "How do you eat an elephant (or for you vegetarians, think an entire vegetable patch)?" The Answer - "One Bite At A Time." It's time to stop trying to eat the elephant for tonight's dinner and determine what bite you want to take first.
In other words you want to avoid being the Jack of all Marketing tactics, the master of none. You don't need to master them all to be successful. Pick 1 - 3 you want to master this year - that's it!
So where do you start?
Start with one(s) that you enjoyandone(s) that provides you a big bang for your buck (and your time)
You might be thinking okay I know what I enjoy, but how the HECK do I know if it's going to pay off?
Ask yourself this:
Do I feel I have control over the results (in other words, where I do it, how much I do, when I do it, etc.)?
Can I afford to do it consistently both in time & money - day or week in & day or week out?
Do I know other business owners similar to me who have had results doing this activity that I can glean advice from or pay to help me?
If you can answer yes to these 3 questions...you are on the right track to finding a high pay off activity. Start there, stick with it and let the other shiny objects sit in your toy box for now!
Feel free to use this article as long as you include the following:
by Cidnee Stephen of Strategies for Success
Living on The Edge of Chaos...
The Chaos Theory - running your life on empty
Controlling Chaos During Expansion
TURNING CHAOS INTO ORDER - Strong Business Credit
Sales Training – Top Salespeople Gifts for Managing Chaos
Stop Listening to Disorganised People
Time Management
[How to find a great leader in network marketing]
Spam is a Threat Block It
What has Unrealizable Fantasies Got to Do with Being Organized?
Taking the High Road
Personal Philosophy
Internet Based Home Business – You have to read this if you want success!
Why Local Media Personalities are Dying to Get Your Small Biz Press Release
Analysis Paralysis
Victory in Motion: How Nike Soared To the Top
Automated Online Business - Is There Such a Thing?
3 Surprising Mathematical Principles That Every Persuasive Marketer Must Know
The Decent Thing to Do Is the Smart Thing to Do
Marketing Software
Article Tags: cidnee stephen, duct tape marketing, marketing tips, small business, social media, strategy
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About the Author: Cidnee Stephen RSS for Cidnee's articles - Visit Cidnee's website Click here to visit Cidnee's website   Yellow Pages To Advertise or Not To Advertise Is Radio Advertising Right For You Are You Giving Up Too Soon Do You Suffer from Expert Failure Are You A Marketing Control Freak |
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