Archive for August 20th, 2008

For many small business owners, marketing is something they think about when their cash flow drops off, or they haven’t got enough new business in the pipeline. This is a huge mistake!

Typically the first thing they think about is TACTICS. They want to find a new magic tactic to instantly produce a flood of new clients. They need a quick solution to the cash flow drain on their business. Sound familiar?

Thats usually when I will get a phone call … when marketing has become a necessary evil.

The problem is for most small business owners they only think about tactics. They think that if they update their website and maybe add in some video … that will do the trick. Possibly a new flyer, or what about an eMail blast out. I have even had clients who thought that if they rebrand, change their logos, new colour scheme and so on that this would result in new clients beating a path to their door.

Sadly this focus on tactics rarely ends the way small business owners hope and pray it will.

So what should they focus on?

First and foremost they must focus on developing their MARKETING STRATEGY. Without a well thought out strategy none of the tactics you play around with will work. When you have implemented the right strategy though the tactics fall into place far easier.

Here is a clue … you need to think of marketing as being a step-by-step system … not a one off cataclysmic event. You need to define and understand what each of the steps are in your marketing system. Then develop appropriate tactics to ensure that you effectively implement the strategy.

In the Attraction Marketing System I take you through seven keys. These are all designed to focus you on your strategy. We start with clearly defining your TARGET MARKET and gaining an understanding of what will make you ATTRACTIVE to them.

From there we take you through various other elements of an effective marketing system that you will need to implement. This includes developing strategies to gain visibility in your target market, centering your business around PERMISSION MARKETING (this is critical), using what I call Sell-U-Cation to presell those on your database, creating Top of Mind Awareness, and how to turn your clients into Raving FANS!

You need to have an effective Marketing System that incoporates each of these elements.

So here is what you must do at some stage. You need to block out 2 or 3 days in your schedule as time to work ON your business and not in it. Yes I know … you are busy doing stuff … however if you don’t take time out to work on your overall Marketing Strategy then you will always be chasing your tail.

Take time out and develop your marketing strategy … only then should you worry about the tactics.

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