Marketing: Why Do Most Businesses Get It Wrong?

Why Should Marketing Work?

Marketing should connect businesses with their target audience in a meaningful way. In turn, driving awareness, engagement, and ultimately, sales! Most businesses think that they understand this concept but, as you will see, are sorely mistaken!

Why Most Fail

Many businesses struggle with their marketing strategy for several very simple reasons.

Lack of clear strategy:

Without a clear marketing strategy, businesses often engage in random, uncoordinated activities that don't align with their goals. I have seen this all too often when small businesses hire large marketing agency's. These corporate marketers have a standardized strategy for large businesses that already have a massive following. They DO NOT specialize their marketing approach for the small businesses.

Poor market research:

Knowing your audience is perhaps the most important tool when it comes to marketing. Try to sell a workout program to Mr. Olympia, a vocal coach to Adele, or golf lessons to Tiger. Good luck! This easy concept is one of the most crucially missed areas in marketing. Good news, it is very easy to fix. So, how do you know what your customers want? Wait for it........... here is the ground breaking idea................. ASK THEM!

It really is as simple as that.

Branding:

What came first, the chicken or the egg? I have no idea, but one thing I do know is branding is a great tool.... If you have a hundred million dollars at your disposal and would like for your company to hemorrhage money for the first 5 years. Sounds like fun doesn't it? I bring this up because I often see companies focusing entirely too much on their brand. I am not saying that the care and experience of the customer isn't important, but most small businesses are too focused on becoming the chicken when they really just need to develop in the egg a bit longer.

Poor social media engagement:

Oh boy! This probably wasn't somethin you were thinking about when starting your business; was it? Especially us older souls out there, we don't even use our own personal social media accounts, and now we have to do one for the business? Well.... yes! Social media is one of the best ways to promote more community engagement, period. At no other place or time in human history has it been easier to spread the word about your business than right now. If you are one of those who doesn't computer so well, there are a couple of ways to get your business out in the social media sphere and engage with your local community. Hint, Hint..... I know a guy!

Now obviously I can go on and on about the poor management of a business' marketing, but I will leave it here for now. I just seen a McDonalds commercial for a Big Mac. Thank the lord! I am happy they spent millions showing me a sandwich I have never seen before! If this is striking a chord with you, take a deep breath, you are not alone and I am here to help. On second thought, let's give you some ways right now that can help that anxiety!

How Can You Succeed?

Never mind, no need to keep reading. I just asked Chat GPT how your business can avoid these pitfalls. Here is the answers to all your problems:

1. Develop a clear marketing strategy

2. Conduct thorough market research

3. Maintain Consistent branding

4. Leverage Data and Analytics

5. Create High-Quality Content

6. Balance sales and value

7. Manage your social media presence effectively

8. Optimize for mobile

Okay your all set. Get out there and go kill it!

Oh, it's too vague? You don't know what that means? You don't know how to do those things?

Astonishing!

But seriously, these are important things for a business to implement. So is budgeting, inventory management, production, training, accounting, staffing. Every aspect of the business, when done correctly, becomes a very important part of that business and its success.

But your busy..... Really busy...... I would bet you are too busy to take on the challenge of just learning one of these topics let alone actually having the time to implement what you learned into the business.

So what are your options?

What Can You Do?

Do it all yourself?

This is a great choice right? Who doesn't want to spend less time with their family? Who actually loves laying in bed? I mean, your so good at running all of the other aspects of your business, what's one more thing. And obviously you have years of marketing experience under your belt.

My sarcasm is not to say you cannot market your business in an effective and efficient way. But think of all of the other things you manage, can you afford to take time away from them? Will the business be better off this way? Think of it like a seesaw, putting more weight on marketing starts to tilt the balance away from whatever you stop managing.

If this is not what you want, your gonna love my next method!

Hire new staff to fill your roles

Ahhhhh..... the hiring process. I cannot think of anything more relaxing. You get to spend hours everyday interviewing potential staff who have never worked in your business before. The background checks, the awkward answers, the "Help Wanted" flyers. Someone wake me up from this magical dream!

Sorry, sarcasm is the only way I know how to cope when I think about dreadful things. I remember when I got my first job, it took me about three months to get the hang of things. Then, once I was all well trained and knew the ins and outs, I quit. All those Man-Hours spent training me was wasted. Now I could have learned the job faster if the company had spent a bunch of money on a well thought out training program, oh well, missed opportunity.

I would offer you this, no one who works for your business is going to care more about that business than you. So whoever you hire to do the same tasks you currently perform, think to yourself, "Will this task get done with the same care and scrutiny as I have put on it for years?"

What's option 3?

Hire a large marketing agency

I'll leave the sarcasm out on this one, just know it's killing me inside.

Let's think for a second. Why are you still in business? Why hasn't it collapsed yet? Why do customers continue to come back?

Now obviously you are doing something that people love. It probably isn't just your product or services right? No, it is something more deep than that. It's the ambiance, friendly faces, price, location, attention to detail. I am not saying what you sell isn't a major factor, but can you think of the competition around you? Why are your customers consistently coming back?

The point I am trying to get across is that your business has a bit of personalization that people love. It has that thing that sets you apart from the competition across the street.

Do you think your business should market this magical thing that makes your customers wanting more? Do you know what this thing is?

I'll tell you this, large marketing agencies do not care. They have established "algorithms" and standard operating procedures for all businesses they consult with. Doesn't matter the business, the market, the target audience, the "strategy is always the same." Now this can lead to minimal sales, but with the amount of money you have to pay these large corporations you need big sales from their approach. Unfortunately, the only way to get big sales is with personalized strategies that are tailored to each individual business.'

What Are Your Only Options Then?

Let's wrap this whole thing up once and for all.

If, by now, you have been picking up what I've been putting down, you now know what options are not the best for your business.

But there are two options I have not posed to you yet. Listen up, it's about to get heavy!

Option one is do nothing at all! You have survived this long with whatever marketing plan you have even if that means you do not market at all. And if you are satisfied with your current position then I couldn't be happier for you! I am sorry you read this far just to realize you want to do nothing.

Option two is hire a marketing team that specializes in local businesses. One that can exploit the "it factor" of your business and brandish it across the city or county for all to see. Hire a marketing team that when you call, the voice on the other side doesn't just put you on hold, but says "I'll be right there!" Hire the team that has probably used your services before and when someone asks them for directions, they say "make a left at your business" because they have been there before. Hire a team that does what others do not, make sure everything we do is measurable. If the results are not measured, how do we know what does and does not work?

If you think option two is what your business needs, your right! The only thing to do now is act. Massive action solves most problems. Feel free to

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