Marketing and Promotion – What Are You Doing, Is It Working And How Are You Doing It?

Marketing and promotion

What is marketing?  

It is the action of promoting and selling products or services which includes research and advertising. Sounds simple really doesn’t it. But it can be very costly and stressful, so, I decided to put together this post for you to help you out a little, and even perhaps save you some money and hair loss.

Now, they say that we need a great mix of marketing to become successful at promoting our offers.  So I thought I would go over some of the most powerful areas I have found to be most beneficial to my efforts.  What we have to look at is – where our time and energy is being spent – and if that is productive and effective.  This way we can tweak or change our efforts accordingly.

What I have found is that – when you start out with your marketing plan you can aim to master 1-2 areas and become great them. Or, you can hire others for this.   But, if you flirt with many areas YET master none, then chances are that your efforts may be in vain.  

So, let’s start by looking at what marketing really means and what you need to know now.

Marketing is always changing to deliver the needs of the customer/client behavior so, the marketing efforts can reflect the habits of potential buyers and how they act.  This can be a mixture of paid and free marketing, online and offline – and all have their merits.  For example, this blog post is free for me to create, yet with the right keywords and message it can reach the right people to read it and my job is done.  I have connected with readers and some will take action below once they have read it.  The purpose of it is to offer value, connect and create a certain number of ‘call to actions’. 

But it’s just the beginning of the process!

So I am building trust and leading to more of what I offer.  So essentially this is a process or journey enticing potential buyers to bond with me and trust me in creating an initial connection and from their building rapport.  Some may go further into this process.  So, how are you doing this now? And how are you creating an attractive offer to further the experience of your readers/potential buyers?  And why will readers or buyers come to you rather than another?

Let’s look at some of the key fundamentals of marketing.

Marketing mix

As I touched on just now, in having a mix you can see which areas perform the best and then fund those areas more or create more content in those areas.  A mix allows you to do this and to measure your results so you can spend your time and energy in the right areas.  I was recently creating Facebook ads for my webinars so that I could reach high end targeted people looking for premium coaching, so I had to test the different ads and see which ones performed the best.  And from there I could spend more money on the higher performing ads.  By doing so I acquired many hits to my webinar link some of which filtered through and actually watched the webinar and out of those a small percentage filled out my acuity scheduling tool at my website to apply for a free strategy session.   At £2000 my 1on1 coaching is only bought by serious people and people whom I love to work with also so, I was looking for those people and I aimed for them.  By trying various types of marketing I could see which most converted into sales.

This also of course involves understanding price points (what are they prepared to pay you for this). And also timing, placement and having the right product or service needs to al be taken into consideration, otherwise EVEN though I am targeting the ‘right people’ I may be offering the wrong things, so I could still fail I am afraid to say.  This all begins with understanding the demand from the right group of people.   The point is, no matter how good your marketing is, if your have something which is not appealable then it is a total waste of time and money.

Marketing and promotion

Marketing strategy

This leads me to strategies.  Now, you could easily begin by planning various strategies which is great, but, this can also be a nightmare because it is easy to try a million things and spend a ton of money without any return. However, your strategy may come from first trying out your mix.  That’s why I personally prefer to mix 1 to 3 strategies and processes and then create more targeted efforts and time invested on those findings.  Some will create a sophisticated strategy and go with it before anything else, which is ok except ‘what is this strategy is really bad’?  

It may seem amazing, but where is the proof?  So it is no use ‘over engineering’ a strategy and putting all of your resources into it, until it has been first tested.

That’s why testing first is the key.   In simple terms why waste time and money on a strategy that could be totally off point?  It’s a bit like creating a product without first conducting research to ascertain what potential buyers or customers actually want.

Marketing and Promotion 101 – So, my tip is this – find what you need and works for you and apply it or outsource it.   Try something for a week, test it, go deep and narrow and then scale it or replace it with another channel for promotion.

Marketing concept

This is essentially a company philosophy whereby the goals of that company may be best achieved through identification and satisfaction of the customers stated and un-stated needs and wants.  Ok, however, customers buy fears and passions not needs and wants, so get this right first of all.  Then, decide upon how these customers are going to be best served and how.  So, coming up with a powerful concept for creating a great product or service is crucial and this will allow you to get to the right buyers quicker.   This is where the research comes in and has to be understood.    This concept could be in the way of new or fresh ideas or innovation on existing ways and this could be make or break for a company or business.  So defining the right concept is vital to your growth.

Marketing plan

Your plan can be created using downloadable templates online fairly easily.  The key is to create a professional and well thought out plan and as you create it you will want to devise a check list so you know you are covering all of the necessary areas. For example, the plan could be broken down into weeks, months, quarters etc. so you know what work is going to be needed from your team or from you.  Here is where your marketing mix can come into play in that you could use various strategies one month and then change them up the next monitoring and measuring your efforts.  Your plan will determine whether you can survive or not, and it pays you literally to look at the various factors which could determine sales.  Price points being adjusted only slightly can make a huge difference in the mind of a buyer for example.  If you are established in your market enough then perhaps buyers will pay slightly more as they trust you and know you.

So, take this into account.   So remember, when starting out you have to build trust and start with lower prices to build it.  And even though it may have to be lower initially which could spell dis-trust as consumers may equate that to inferior products there is sometimes little choice in the matter.  Build a strong perception of trust from the outset and you will buy the hearts of the buyers sooner.   So be sure to look at costing’s.  As you may even alienate potential buyers by having prices too high.  It’s all about the mind of the buyer so, do your homework and cost in what is needed to give them high perceived value. Market share will become a factor in how well you execute your plan.

Viral Marketing

All this means is that, your efforts are created in such a way that they may be shared by others in areas – such as with social media.  It could be word of mouth, videos, advertising, social networking or by google searches.  Any number of ways both online and offline can be used here.  So it is worth looking at trends and seeing where the greatest sharing is happening.  Also, look at your core message and where that might most be a great fit for the marketing channel.  For example, I use Instagram and share quotes and ideas daily.  I also add pictures of myself.  By doing so, I am creating a story, and a message of who I am and what I stand for.  I build traffic for my offers there and in using certain keywords I am attracting potential clients to my website from Instagram.  People are liking my content as I build it – and the message spreads ensuring more eyes see it, and my followers climb organically.

This starts to become more viral and presents me as I want to be presented.  I acquire around 1 new paying client per week just from Instagram.  I don’t have millions of followers – but they are targeted.  So, why not see where you might do something like this which can start to create viral momentum. And be sure to leverage whichever social media channels will support you the most.

Marketing and promotion

Target Market

It has been said time and time again that – if you don’t know your target market in great detail then the chances are that you are wasting your time.  And scaling your business will be near to impossible. And I would agree obviously as it’s like going to a diet class and offering cake to the overweight participants.  So, if you are a serious entrepreneur then don’t be narrow minded in this area or it could be curtains for you.

Cultivate a deeper and more laser focused understanding FIRST as you will attract the right people and this way  you will waste less time and money and create bigger margins.  And you will start to become a great value in your market area.   Start by researching using survey monkey, polls, questionnaires and anything else which can help you define where your attention needs to be placed.

Market Diversification

Now we talked earlier about timing, products and the right people – and even though this may be mastered by you, you may still have to look at changing some stuff. This is normal.  We are in an ever changing world and universe so, be prepared to change features and benefits as the demands change.   This could even be down to your competition changing something, so you have to go one better or at least be unique or different in your own approach.  Again, this will come down to asking the right questions.  What do your customers want?  Why?  How can you be the solution?  How are you better than your nearest competitor?  How will using your product or service trump others?  Is your brand and message standing out enough?  What is the design of your product or service and is it answering their needs?  And so on.

Marketing distribution

This is also very important.  This is a large part of the marketing mix.  How you will promote your products/services and through what channels.  You have to position your products so that they are easy to deliver and buy.  Making them accessible.  And defining this will come to you as you explore and develop your deeper awareness of how your target behave. Really get to know them so that you can create the most efficient ways of delivering what you offer in the most simple ways for them.  Distribution can vary greatly from intensive, exclusive, selective or franchising strategies.

You will need to know:

1) where are your potential customers and are they are looking for your products/services?

2) Where are these people already going?

3) Do they buy more online or offline?

4) How can you access these selling channels most effectively?

5) How can you be different in your strategy than your competitors and what can you offer differently?

6) Is your current marketing and selling strategy strong and effective enough now and if not how can it be?

7) Where might you need to go to get in front of these people ‘OR’ perhaps you are already but you need to have a stronger presence?

Marketing Promotion

This is another key factor in determining whether you will fail or succeed.  Done right, this can really create a buzz around your brand to gain recognition and of course sales.  There are various elements in the promotion process as you may know.  

As follows, – Sales organisation – Public relations – Advertising – Sales promotion -.  With advertising, it might cover areas such as TV ads, radio, print media, and online ads.  Whilst the online world is super accessible these days some potential buyers are going offline for trust more today as the online world doesn’t always offer the kind of transparency which a more aware customer wants or needs.  An example of the offline increase is where buyers can now feel more trust from lumpy mail.  So, you may get a flyer through your door and trust it more than an e-mail in your inbox.  It is not a guarantee mind you. But this is typically what is beginning to happen more as businesses will test their resources and promotional strategies.  Folks have today become more desensitized to the online stuff in many ways, and with the re-introduction of more tangible ways of communicating and connecting ‘WE’ as buyers are looking for that trust again.  So be aware of this change and where necessary test and adapt.

Of course there are more ways to promote than just online or through mail.  We can hire PR experts, Marketing teams, and even leverage from our community.

Marketing and promotion

I was recently featured on TV documentary for a health and fitness program. 

This gave me great local exposure and subsequently I received more local business as a result.

This kind of ‘word of mouth’ exposure is great for building that trust and it might be that you attend a conference, a seminar, an exhibition, or events where you can be in front of the right people.  Public relations and word of mouth are both powerful platforms which I have found powerful in gaining more sales.   I have a friend who is an expert in PR, so we help each other’s businesses, and this is a great option.  This means that I can offer services to her and she can offer services to me. ZERO COST! 

You should look at also using the appropriate media channels for you where possible.

LOCAL RADIO / LOCAL TV / LOCAL EVENTS / LOCAL BUSINESS GROUPS

PODCASTS / WEBINARS / ZOOM MEETINGS / GUEST BLOGGING

LOCAL MAGAZINES AND NEWSPAPERS / LOCAL PR EXPERTS

Social media and other forms of media should all be tested and measured, and from there you can scale up which areas work best for you.  You can also hire the experts to manage your social media, or offline media and/or use a team whose role it is to manage this.  Of course this depends on your budget, size of business, and type of business.  

Marketing and Promotion – So let’s ask some simple questions now about all of this so you can define your strategy:

• When could be the best time to promote your product or service and with what tools of resources?
• How will you be in front of the right people and with what and how are you communicating this and testing this?
• What media could be most appropriate and powerful for you now thinking of relevance, and costs versus time etc.?
• How are others promoting what they have and what seems most effective from what you receive from them?
• What is your total budget for this?
• How will you effectively promote your message better than others to stand out more?

Now for the marketing mix 4 c’s that are worth mastering:

This is a model that is commonly used in the service industries

COST – The cost of the product or service isn’t the only cost incurred by the buyer.  It also involves buying into a a level of conscience and opportunity comes into play so it pays to really know the mindset of the buyer.

CONSUMER WANTS AND NEEDS – Remember, wants and needs are false, it has been proven that buyers come from a place of fear or passion. A business should only ever sell based on addressing the demand.  In short, all sellers need to know and deeply research these fears and passions

COMMUNICATION – Buyers may see a type of promotion as being manipulative, where as communication is more cooperative in nature.  Sellers should always aim to create an open dialogue with potential buyers or customers.  And of course this is based on passions and fears.

CONVENIENCE – The product or service that you are promoting should be easily available to buyers.  Sellers and marketers should strategically place and position products in various calculated distribution points and areas.

These are the 4 p’s are worth knowing right off the bat also:

PRODUCT – What you will sell and more importantly what do THEY WANT?

PRICE – at what price point that is ideal for selling which competes well?  WILL BUYERS THINK IT IS GOOD VALUE AND IS IT COST SENSITIVE TO COMPETITION?

PLACE – In the right place? – WHERE WILL BUYERS BUY IT?  Online/offline etc

PROMOTION – How will this be promoted and why? – WHEN WHERE AND HOW WILL YOU GET THE MESSAGE OUT TO BUYERS?  IS THE THE TIME RIGHT?

Marketing and Promotion –  Need Help?  Contact me anytime below!

Having these powerful techniques is a great way to start a marketing campaign and by studying this post and as much as you can it will really help you get this stuff organized before you waste time and money.  However – if it all seems like way too much for you to handle then get in touch with me @ www.GregDeTisi.com and I will be more than happy to help you start your new idea or venture and create a solid plan. 

Marketing and Promotion 101 – I look forward to connecting with you and knowing more about your exciting business ideas.

You may also enjoy this post I created for you? CLICK HERE FOR MARKET AND MESSAGE TIPS

Marketing and promotion

BONUS SECTION – HAVING A WELL MADE STRUCTURE & OTHER MARKETING

You will see on the diagram to the right that you need to pinpoint and connect deeply and directly with your target market – so you need to grab their attention quickly.  These days, with ever more businesses appearing we need to really to strike a chord as fast as we can.

Remember also that you need to conduct that deep and narrow research to discover how to get your target market to be a valuable asset to your products/services.  Looking at demographics, behaviors, and defining what these people are thinking every day, you can then understand their core passions and fears. 

If you are going it alone then it really will pay you to still consider outsourcing freelancers or hire the right team when you can afford to – but there are many things you can do for free by yourself.  Just be sure not to spread yourself so thin that you are not effective in any area.

If you have a direct team then they will need to understand all of these concepts in great detail in order to execute a powerful strategy to give you a return on investment for your efforts.  You might have a support desk, VA’s, a customer service worker, content creators etc. who will need to fully communicate their efforts and really grasp this.

Having quick team meetings every day can be hugely beneficial to keeping account of each person and their role.

However you create this, ensure that you keep the plan water tight. I will go over all marketing types to be aware of shortly so you can see where you and your team may be spending most of your time and energy.

You need to ask – will they believe in you?

You need both your team and your customers to be on your side.

One of the greatest productivity factors is that – when buyers believe in you and your staff/team, this will boost morale and productivity will increase with the knowledge that ‘what you are doing’ is OF VALUE and working.  It can be as simple as the fact that you are starting to get greater levels of sales which could inspire you and your partners.  And you really want to ensure that your team are happy in their respective roles, so communicate as a modern leader who listens, cares, is not self interested, but is a team player and can raise the energy of the organization.  

So, it’s vitally important all round that ALL parties believe in you, your vision, mission, what you are selling and why.  

And – the fact that you are passionate and open about your business will allow your partners to honestly communicate with you about creating more potential growth in various areas, so it will increase focus and effectiveness.  That’s why it is important to get this right, as you are in charge of steering this ship in the right direction.  

This is a distinct advantage over others in your competition area and – this alone can help your business gain greater market share over others without question.

Now, I haven’t yet included online marketing, e-mail marketing or social media marketing yet and that’s because this needs it’s own section.

These are essential these days to MOST businesses.  E-mail marketing alone is so powerful that it can grow you a huge following very fast when applied right and it can bring you sales for many years from repeat customers when you can build a loyal following who you care for.  In fact, just the e-mail marketing side of things is so super important these days that it will likely need sophisticated CRM software in place to manage, direct and measure your list as this is an important investment.

For example: If you have some kind of sales funnel, give away, eBook, or gift you wish to offer potential subscribers then you will need a system to funnel them through to an email series, and further value driven content.  This build the rapport, relationships and trust and it enables you to create repeat custom.  Also – satisfied customers tell 10 of their friends and you potentially have new referrals.

No matter what business you operate you can start to build a list which you can sell for you in the future.  

You will want to provide excellent and relevant value to your list remember and you can do so by using a tool such as Get response, Mailchimp or Aweber or Infusionsoft.

Each has their merits and downfalls, but they are all worthy.  Mailchimp do offer a cheaper option which is useful to get you started.

If you can set this up sooner rather than later, you will be thankful that you did in a year from now.  Once you have a list and a website or blog or some form of contact, you can tie in all of your marketing efforts to your primary business.  For example look at this blog; you will see all of my social media connections, my free eBook to the right, and other offers I have.  Everything connects here.

Marketing and Promotion – So, what current systems and processes are you using to drive your delivery?

Having a well structured system will greatly improve your abilities to deliver effectively and thus gain that growth.   And by knowing the process you are using, and what is working – this will help with running costs.    For example, I recently got help from a sales funnel creator who helped me build my own funnels.  In understanding HOW these processes worked (which she was teaching me) I was able to monitor and measure how well this all performed.

So I could adjust, tweak, test and alter what was necessary and I even hired someone to do this for me so I could focus on writing and consulting.

It could be that you have a different way of distributing your services through a payment system, or particular steps required by the buyer, so you need to know WHAT THE BUYER process is.  What is their journey?  And why is it better than any other journey?

Marketing and Promotion

You need to know what is most effective through this testing.   And of course by knowing your systems, even if you don’t work on this yourself, you can understand what your partner, team member or outsourced consultant is doing to improve it and increase results every day.

This is a bit like when we split test sales pages to see which ones are most effective.  We need to be able to identify each part of the process, and I personally use a company called Leadpages for my sales pages – as they have the right tools to help me measure my performance.  So I can see the number of those who Opt-in to my Call to action offers and pages, and also see what their actions are throughout the process.   

By understanding your marketing efforts and knowing how it all performs, you will learn to maximize profits and keep costs as low as possible.  

It is behind the scenes where this works like a well oiled machine to help position your brand presence and establish you as the expert, as you set up your business and systems with professionalism.  As I have stated before – I hire those who are better than me in their roles to manage what I cannot manage.    

The goal here is for you to become better than others at marketing and to become well known and thought of for the right reasons.  

When you think of any market leader ‘big or small’ they want you to associate them with the best quality of course, and you will notice this is local businesses as mu h as with giant companies. 

For example, when we think of TOYOTA, AUDI or BMW we may think of ‘great quality engineering’ and these companies have established this physical proof that they can deliver the goods.  So, consumer perception is everything, as most people know and have relationships with brands.  But just as important is Bob’s bakery down the road.  Bob wants you to love his bread and cakes, so it is his job to create the right perception through marketing, selling and building a great reputation. 

You know your business best, so you need to know what customers expect.  And this way you can over deliver using the right channels.

CLICK HERE TO READ LESSONS FROM THE 8 GREATEST MARKETERS OF ALL TIME

AND IF 8 ISNT ENOUGH HERE ARE 16 TIPS FROM THE GREATEST MARKETERS OF ALL TIME 

HERE ARE 6 MARKETERS YOU SHOULD FOLLOW NOW

HOW ABOUT THE GREATEST MARKETERS OF ALL TIME

OR TRY THIS 6 TOP MARKETING STRATEGIES FROM FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES

DIFFERENT MARKETING TYPES and STRATEGIES WORTH PAYING ATTENTION TO:

• SOCIAL MEDIA = This means marketing with the use of social media platforms and websites to promote a product or service. Although the terms e-marketing and digital marketing are still used widely in academia, social media marketing is becoming more popular for both practitioners and researchers across the board.
• MARKETING = is about profitably by using the results of studying short term and long term needs of those who can pay for a one-time, or in most cases, a steady flow of service or product placement.
• INTERNET MARKETING = Is the component of marketing that utilizes internet and online based digital technologies such as desktop computers, mobile phones and other digital media and platforms to promote products and services.
• INFLUENCER MARKETING = A form of social media marketing involving endorsements and product placement from influencers, people and organizations who have a purported expert level of knowledge or social influence in their field.  Often seen in Instagram.
• CONTENT MARKETING = A form of marketing focused on creating, publishing, and distributing content for a targeted audience online. It comes in many forms.
• CAUSE MARKETING = Marketing done by a ‘for-profit’ business that seeks to both increase profits and to better society in accordance with corporate social responsibility, such as by including activist messages in advertising.
• EMAIL MARKETING = The act of sending a commercial message, typically to a group of people, using email. In its broadest sense, every email sent to a potential or current customer could be considered email marketing. It involves delivering value by using email to send advertisements, request business, or solicit sales or donations.
• RELATIONSHIP MARKETING = Is a form of marketing developed from direct response marketing campaigns that emphasizes customer retention and satisfaction rather than sales transactions.
• UNDERCOVER MARKETING = Also referred to as buzz or stealth marketing, is a marketing technique that focuses on “hidden” marketing activities. The target audience does not realize they are being marketed to and the hope is that the efforts will generate a buzz and get people talking excitedly about the product or service.
• DIVERSITY MARKETING = This is a marketing paradigm which sees marketing as a way to connect with the different individuals in the market.
• ARTICLE MARKETING = A branch of content marketing. It is a type of advertising in which companies write and distribute short articles to a range of outlets such as article banks, forums, and newsletter publishers.
• SEO MARKETING = The process of improving the quality and quantity of website traffic to a website or a web page from search engines. SEO targets unpaid traffic rather than direct traffic or paid traffic.
• DIRECT MARKETING AND SELLING = Communicating an offer, where organizations communicate directly to a pre-selected customer and supply a method for a direct response. Among practitioners, it is also known as direct response marketing.
• STORY TELLING = Describes the social and cultural activity of sharing stories, sometimes with improvisation, theatrics or embellishment. Every business culture has its own stories or narratives, which are shared as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation or instilling moral values. Everyone loves a great story.
• PPC MARKETING = An internet advertising model used to drive traffic to sales pages/websites, in which an advertiser pays a publisher when the ad is clicked.
• DRIP MARKETING = A communication strategy that sends, or “drips,” pre-written messages to customers over time. These messages often take the form of email marketing, although other media can also be used.
• WORD OF MOUTH MARKETING =  This differs from naturally occurring word of mouth, in that it is actively influenced or encouraged by organizations. While it is difficult to truly control this area, research has shown that there are three generic avenues to ‘master’ this purpose: 1. Build a strong foundation, such as sufficient satisfaction, trust and commitment), 2.) Indirect W.O.M management which implies that managers only have some control (controversial advertising, teaser campaigns, customer membership clubs), 3.) Direct W.O.M management, which has higher levels of control (paid W.O.M ‘agents’, referral schemes).
• MOBILE MARKETING = Multi-channel online marketing technique focused at reaching a specific audience on smartphones, tablets, or any other related devices through websites, E-mail, SMS and MMS, social media, or mobile applications.
• EVENT MANAGEMENT = The application of project management to the creation and development of small and/or large-scale personal or corporate events such as festivals, conferences, ceremonies, weddings, formal parties, concerts, or conventions.
• BEHAVIORAL RETARGETING MARKETING = Online targeted advertising by which online advertising is targeted to consumers based on their previous Internet actions. Retargeting tags online users by including a pixel within the target webpage or email, which sets a cookie in the user’s browser.
• BRANDING = A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers and this markets for us.

So, it’s down to you to choose what areas you will focusing on.

I will leave you with this quote:

“Good marketing makes the company look smart. 
Great marketing makes the customer feel smart.” – Joe Chernov

Until next time! Good luck!

I wish you the very best as always

Greg

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Marketing and Promotion

marketing and Promotion – It’s time to master yours!

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GregDeTisi

Author and Small Business Blogger at Greg De Tisi Writing and Small Business Blogging

Author of 26 books, a course creator and business blogger - Greg has been supporting clients from all backgrounds all over the globe for over 15 years in developing ideas and passions into sustainable Small Business Models. Greg now has more of a focus on supporting his local business community in Bristol UK.