Tweet

Is your customer willing to pay for your marketing?

Written by: Joe Dager

Article Overview: How do you add value in your marketing? Have you thought about it? To be effective in Content or Educational Marketing you must add value as defined by the customer. I want you to steer away from your first thought, which is more than likely your product or service, but instead think about your marketing material. For your Content marketing material to be effective, I believe it must have 4 components:

Is your customer willing to pay for your marketing?

How do you add value in your marketing? Have you thought about it? To be effective in Content or Educational Marketing you must add value as defined by the customer. I want you to steer away from your first thought, which is more than likely your product or service, but instead think about your marketing material. For your Content marketing material to be effective, I believe it must have 4 components:

Value Added: Your marketing needs to add additional knowledge or be a reinforcer of your product or service to your customer. A blog or commenting on LinkedIn are several online examples. It can be done in traditional advertising and marketing. Using a 2-step advertising strategy and offer something of value versus trying to coerce them into buying a product. Especially consider your marketing message in each step of your marketing process or value stream. I believe that if you are effectively using the Pillars of Lean Marketing House properly that you need to increase the value of your offering as you walk someone through the process. You must also segment your list during the process so that the perceived value is also recognized.

Quality: If you look at marketing in today's world, I believe authenticity is sometimes more important than a professional full color ad in your trade magazine. People want to become connected, just review some of the YouTube videos of BlendTec and the Will it Blend series. Variability is the lager culprit of quality. It goes without saying, your marketing should be professionally looking, but I believe the biggest problems with quality is variability. It confuses the message to your customer. When you dilute your marketing message not only by confusing advertising but sometimes being in the wrong place, even with the wrong customer, can send mixed messages to your target market.

Time: Delivering your message when a customer needs it, is imperative. Before or after the proper time reduces the value tremendously. Few customers will put it in a file and save it for when they need it. We are simple on information overload - ALL THE TIME. The timeliness of your message is important to understand. You seldom can do this without understanding your customers buying cycle and the needs they have during that cycle.

Cost: This is a little of a 2-way street here. One you must consider your own cost and the ROI on doing the particular piece. You have to determine if a Super bowl Ad is worth it. However, when I consider the marketing piece I am going to employ, I like to think of it in a different way. Is the content something that the customer would pay for? If this does not raise the bar on your marketing, you are doing a lot of things correct. If you had a free whitepaper to download, why not sell it on Amazon for $2.00. Is is worth it? Is not relinquishing my e-mail address and giving you permission to market to me worth $2.00. Look at your marketing material and put a value to it! Better yet, ask your customer if there is a value to it?

Would it be great if your customer was willing to pay for your marketing?

Related Articles
  The Role of Customer Service in Business Success
  A Marketing Myth
  Ever hear of the term Value Stream Marketing?
  Marketing definition
  Marketing 102

Article Tags: educational marketing, first thought



Related Forum Posts
Re: Politeness! - I sometimes find that people these days will actually go out of their way to be rude when filing a complaint. For instance, why can't a customer just say a simple "no thank you" rather than writing in an angry tone or making threats? Of course the customer is always right, so as professionals we have to suck it in and be the bigger person... but is there a better way to deal with rude clients? When I used to work at McDonald's, I recall the store manager actually yelled back at the customer who shouted profanities at a teenage employee since the order was taking so long. While the store manager didn't use any vulgar language, he still firmly told the customer to leave the store because he wouldn't serve someone who was so rude.
Starting A Business - go get a customer! you can have a great idea but if you don't have a customer you'll never be successful. Build a product / service around someone who will pay you for what you can offer! It's the best way to build a business.
Re: Politeness! - [quote="Kevin":2sd46jnv]I sometimes find that people these days will actually go out of their way to be rude when filing a complaint. For instance, why can't a customer just say a simple "no thank you" rather than writing in an angry tone or making threats? Of course the customer is always right, so as professionals we have to suck it in and be the bigger person... but is there a better way to deal with rude clients? When I used to work at McDonald's, I recall the store manager actually yelled back at the customer who shouted profanities at a teenage employee since the order was taking so long. While the store manager didn't use any vulgar language, he still firmly told the customer to leave the store because he wouldn't serve someone who was so rude.[/quote:2sd46jnv] I think that this is the right thing to do. Nobody should have to put up with rudeness or abuse even by a customer. If the customer cannot behave in a decent manner, I would quietly tell them that until they can treat me with respect I would prefer not to deal with them. I have been in that position and will not allow anyone to behave badly to me. In fact people will only behave badly towards you if you allow it. MichelleJ
Re: Your weapon for success - Thank you for the list, keeping that customer relationship is vital because they can also act as your own little marketing team when they talk to their friends and family. Also ask for referrals! Each referral is way better than 40 cold calls.
Re: Social media - I'm still wrapping my head about ways to utilize twitter with my business, but have had good success with Facebook's fan page. Really depends on your marketing plan, customer base, etc.


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Are You Fulfilled

Resistance to Change and How to Deal With It

What Type of Business Should I Start?

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.