By John A. Michailidis, Esq.
There are two broad categories of marketing - one appropriate to small business, and the other not so much so. Unfortunately, a large percentage of small businesses don't know the difference between the two and they waste money, and loose potential clients and customers because of it.
Two Types Of Marketing
Marketing can be separated into two broad types:
Image marketing.
Direct response marketing.
Image marketing is about YOU and your business. Direct response marketing is about the CUSTOMER and their concerns.
Image marketing is designed to impress the client with how great you are: how professional, fast, award winning, environmentally friendly, etc. It doesn't address the customer's needs and it is often filled with "fluff" that really doesn't have much to do with anything. You've seen the ads - beautiful sunsets, soft music, cute puppy dogs, a recital of how great the company is - what the heck that has to do with "selling widgets in Peoria" I'll never know!
The Best Marketing For Small Business
While image marketing "might" have a place if you are a major corporation with boatloads of cash to burn (I'd still argue that 'dollar for dollar' it isn't as effective as direct response) a small business typically doesn't have lots of cash to burn and must make every dollar count. Direct response marketing is designed to get potential customers to "do something specific that directly leads to a sale."
An effective direct response piece is ALL ABOUT THE CUSTOMER! The only thing relating to you and your business should be your contact information - that's it! The purpose of a direct response piece is to get the customer to TAKE ACTION NOW.
Making A Compelling Offer
The heart of an effective direct response piece is the "compelling offer" you make to your prospect. To do this well you must know your customers inside and out: their problems, their concerns, their desires, their aspirations. As one famous copywriter once said (I forget who), "Your ad copy should enter into the conversation that's already going on inside the head of your prospect."
This makes sense, because if you already know what your customers are looking for then you don't have to "convince" them to do anything. If you simply offer them what they are already looking for then you don't have to resort to fancy sales gimmicks and tricks.
By using direct response marketing to focus on your customers' needs and not your own, your marketing becomes an exercise in writing compelling offers and putting them in front of your prospects. If you know your clients well and your offers truly address their needs they will respond.
John A. Michailidis, Esq. is an attorney, real estate broker, investor, small business consultant, and author of the WealthLoop Series program, [http://wealthloop.com/wealth-cd-details/]Beginner's Guide to Personal Wealth Creation Learn more about [http://wealthloop.com]small business marketing and get entrepreneurial tips and ideas at http://www.WealthLoop.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_A._Michailidis,_Esq. [http://ezinearticles.com/?Small-Business-Marketing---How-To-Do-It-Right!&id=930077 ]http://EzineArticles.com/?Small-Business-Marketing---How-To-Do-It-Right!&id=930077
There are two broad categories of marketing - one appropriate to small business, and the other not so much so. Unfortunately, a large percentage of small businesses don't know the difference between the two and they waste money, and loose potential clients and customers because of it.
Two Types Of Marketing
Marketing can be separated into two broad types:
Image marketing.
Direct response marketing.
Image marketing is about YOU and your business. Direct response marketing is about the CUSTOMER and their concerns.
Image marketing is designed to impress the client with how great you are: how professional, fast, award winning, environmentally friendly, etc. It doesn't address the customer's needs and it is often filled with "fluff" that really doesn't have much to do with anything. You've seen the ads - beautiful sunsets, soft music, cute puppy dogs, a recital of how great the company is - what the heck that has to do with "selling widgets in Peoria" I'll never know!
The Best Marketing For Small Business
While image marketing "might" have a place if you are a major corporation with boatloads of cash to burn (I'd still argue that 'dollar for dollar' it isn't as effective as direct response) a small business typically doesn't have lots of cash to burn and must make every dollar count. Direct response marketing is designed to get potential customers to "do something specific that directly leads to a sale."
An effective direct response piece is ALL ABOUT THE CUSTOMER! The only thing relating to you and your business should be your contact information - that's it! The purpose of a direct response piece is to get the customer to TAKE ACTION NOW.
Making A Compelling Offer
The heart of an effective direct response piece is the "compelling offer" you make to your prospect. To do this well you must know your customers inside and out: their problems, their concerns, their desires, their aspirations. As one famous copywriter once said (I forget who), "Your ad copy should enter into the conversation that's already going on inside the head of your prospect."
This makes sense, because if you already know what your customers are looking for then you don't have to "convince" them to do anything. If you simply offer them what they are already looking for then you don't have to resort to fancy sales gimmicks and tricks.
By using direct response marketing to focus on your customers' needs and not your own, your marketing becomes an exercise in writing compelling offers and putting them in front of your prospects. If you know your clients well and your offers truly address their needs they will respond.
John A. Michailidis, Esq. is an attorney, real estate broker, investor, small business consultant, and author of the WealthLoop Series program, [http://wealthloop.com/wealth-cd-details/]Beginner's Guide to Personal Wealth Creation Learn more about [http://wealthloop.com]small business marketing and get entrepreneurial tips and ideas at http://www.WealthLoop.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_A._Michailidis,_Esq. [http://ezinearticles.com/?Small-Business-Marketing---How-To-Do-It-Right!&id=930077 ]http://EzineArticles.com/?Small-Business-Marketing---How-To-Do-It-Right!&id=930077
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