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Trial and Error + Persistence = Successful
Marketing
© 2002 by Diane Hughes
A few honest and successful Internet business owners
will attest to the fact that they have made countless
marketing mistakes.
Many of them will admit that they didn't get it exactly
right on the first try. However, practically all will
tell you that - without the gumption to take calculated
risks and the persistence to follow through - they would
have never develop a truly successful online marketing
campaign.
Let me encourage you to take a few calculated risks with
your marketing. Extend your comfort zone, so to speak.
Step out of the norm and take a leap of faith every now and
then.
What am I talking about? Mainly, that most small
business owners are very, VERY conservative with their
marketing programs. They decide to spend little money
on ezine ads, purchase the least priced classified they can
find, run it one time, get no response and quit. It
doesn't work that way. Not only will that strategy
fail almost every time online, it will fail offline, too.
One proven principle of marketing is: repetition breads
remembrance and remembrance breads sales.
You may not realize this, but it takes an average of 7 times
of being exposed to your product or service before the
average consumer even notices that you exist. Not
before they buy... before they even recognize you at all.
Running one classified ad simply isn't going to help.
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Because the cost of advertising can get to be a bit
expensive, many small business owners cringe at the thought
of spending more than they *think* they can afford.
However, if your current strategy isn't giving you an
acceptable ROI, it's time to change.
What's the smart and profitable thing to do? Create a
campaign and be persistent with it. Strategically
search out and place multiple ad runs with the same ezines.
(I use ezine advertising as my example, but the same applies
to offline ads, banner ads, joint venture projects,
affiliate campaigns, etc.) Yes, it costs more, but
consider this... would you rather continue wasting money
on small one-shot ads that never produce, or save your funds
and run 3 sub sponsor or top sponsor ads that bring in
sales? I think the answer is obvious.
People can't buy from you if they can't find you.
Advertising (in one form or another) is a must.
Run a few ads on a trial basis. Ask for
recommendations from business associates and select some new
ezines to purchase ad space from. Change your headline
or your copy to see if one pulls better than the other.
It is only by trial and error that we learn and progress.
Why? Because what works for one company, may not work for
you. What works "so-so" for one company
might work better for you! But in order to find out
where your customers are and reach them, you have to stick
your neck out once in awhile.
Will you make some mistakes along the way? Yes.
Will you "lose" a little money on advertising?
Probably. Will you discover a new and successful way
of advertising that brings in stronger results? Almost
definitely!
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Diane Hughes is an accomplished Internet entrepreneur and
editor of the popular ProBizTips Newsletter. Subscribe to
her newsletter for more tips, tricks, and secrets of the
trade -- plus get
HUNDREDS of eBooks, software and tools just for subscribing!
http://www.ProBizTips.com
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