If your business provides a service or is one that needs to denote that you are a subject matter expert, then hopefully by now you have understood the important of providing content to potential customers that in a sense begins the relationship prior to the first phone call or email inquiring about what you do.
You are not just marketing your service or expertise; you are engaged in content marketing or what some call information marketing.
However you deem it in your vocabulary, in essence, it is "THE" currency on the internet.
The trick that you have to overcome is to take that content and then translate it into products that you can sell.
And not just any products.
But products that give the perception of being of high value.
Where all businesses that market on the net now find themselves in is that every business is into (or should be) content marketing.
Because, let's face it...
at the end of the day, we all need help to resolve issues, give us new insights and to separate ourselves from the competition and ultimately get to where we want to financially, emotionally and spiritually People who can do this have a skill set that is indeed considered valuable!And I believe that you all can get there! So...
how do great marketers focus on communicating values that meet our needs? 1.
They are focused! Great marketers choose a niche and stick to it.
They don't try to be all things to all people.
We see some sites that have a calendar of events for things that are in no way related to what their niche is.
This is confusing, dilutes their brand and ends up never getting any real traction.
Their content lacks the focus of what they are truly about.
The better marketers train their audience by giving them information in small, digestible doses.
They provide solutions to people's needs within their niche.
They deliver techniques and solutions.
Consider doing the following: Focus on asking either problem or challenging questions within your niche.
Then tell what needs to be done to resolve the issue.
(Don't worry about telling them what they need to do for free.
They will gladly pay to know how to do it!!) 2.
Great Marketers Don't "Assume" Anything! The challenge with many internet marketers is they believe that the rest of the market thinks like they do.
As a result, they think everyone acts and thinks just like them.
As such, when they deliver a solution, they don't understand why people aren't bowing down in awe.
One of my longest and oldest friends is a guy by the name of Ricke Earle.
I learned a lot from him.
More than he will ever know in fact.
I admired him in so many ways (and continue to although we only talk a few times a year these days) He had these things that I came to call "Earleisms"Well, Earleism #8 was "People don't know what they don't know" Marketers that have the best success understand that they don't know everything and certainly don't believe that everyone thinks or acts like they do!What do they do?They go out and ask where people in their niche are experiencing pain!They find out what frustrates people as well as what problems are at the top of the stack and what challenges can "simmer" for awhile.
They do it under the guise of "research".
Consider doing the following:Ask your customers and prospects what challenges they are facing as a part of your everyday curriculum.
Become a detective and don't think that you understand it when they give you the broad brush answer.
Keep probing until you know the exact cause of their pain.
Do that and the solutions you come up with will meet with much better reception than you have probably been experiencing! 3.
The best marketers test, tweak, test and then repeat! If you market on the internet, you have hopefully come to understand that we live, work and breathe in a fluid, dynamic atmosphere.
In other words, what worked yesterday may not work tomorrow.
That is one of the reasons that how to books that pertain to the internet don't have the success they did initially.
By the time the author wrote it and brought it to the bookshelf, literally years have gone by.
And in the internet world, that is 2 or 3 lifetimes ago.
The bottom line is that if you know that things are changing fast, you should be changing as well!The best marketers don't just sit back on their laurels once they have a successful campaign or product going.
Great marketers are data miners extraordinaire! That saying of "What gets measured gets done!" is so true.
So make sure that whatever you do is truly measurable.
Otherwise, how will you know if you are making progress? Then do what is called split testing.
Split testing is where you make small changes and see if you have more success with those changes.
You are continually making changes to get the best ROI you can.
People have heard me talk about social media marketing like a snow fall.
(One flake [or article] doesn't do much if anything.
But continual snowflakes start to build into a snow storm) Well, in this case, you are working to get the perfect snowflake!Understand you may not ever get there, but the one you end up with will be better than the one you started with! Consider doing the following:For one, get your ego out of the equation.
Don't take up so much ownership in a campaign or program that it can't be improved...
because it can.
Take one part of your marketing and begin measuring your results.
If you paid attention to #2 above, you should know things that you can change that should bring you better results.
4.
Great marketers understand they have to "earn" the right to ask for the sale! One of the hallowed phrases that you hear social media marketers tell prospects over and over again is that people like to do business with those that they know, like and trust.
Keep in mind that social media is a marketing tool (albeit a very important one).
The better marketers understand this.
Sales is a process and you have to respect "the process" Remember the pain that you did in your "research"?Well, let people get to know you by having people understand that you are listening and can indeed provide a solution.
That is where the great content comes in and demonstrates that you indeed know what you are doing.
(Even if you have to give it for free) For those of you "old schoolers" that are long time marketers, but new to the internet, this probably is a different model than what you are used to, but it does work this way (at least now J).
This model is where you deliver so much value, that they come to know you and ultimately to respect you.
Thus, when you do make the sales pitch, they are more likely to respond favorably.
This is how I have explained it to many sales pros (or at least those who purported to be).
Let's say you want to have a baby.
That doesn't mean you can go out and get 9 women pregnant with the expectation a baby will come a month later.
You have to respect the process! Delivering great content over time is a great way to earn trust for not only you, but the goods and services you provide.
Doing that consistently earns you the right to ask for the sale! Consider doing the following:Ask yourself what you are doing to earn the right to sell?Be honest with yourself (another trait of great marketers by the way)If there is something you can do better (and we already know there is), spend the next 30 days overcoming that.
During that time, give away the best solution that you have for free.
5.
You can't be a great marketer if you don't build relationships! Relationships are important in our everyday lives, so why wouldn't they be important here as well? Actually, the best marketers understand that relationships that surround their business are critical to their success.
As a result, they don't try to manipulate them.
They go back to the "know, like, trust" premise and understand that great relationships can further your product/service, be a better advocate than you ever could be (because they are impartial) and have your back in times of crisis (and believe me, those times do come) Social media is a great tool to begin and further relationships.
Just like earning the right to ask for the sale, building and maintaining relationships is a process.
At the end of the day, being authentic is your best approach.
Something to keep in mind.
Relationships are not all about business.
Mix some of your personal interests and find out about others as well.
Consider doing the following:Do a search on twitter or Facebook to identify common interests.
Reach out to them.
Ask how you can support their efforts.
Follow through on your commitments.
Find something about someone everyday that you help for free.
(You don't have to do everything for them, just point them in the right direction.
Even if it means pointing them to someone else!) 6.
Great marketers walk them through the process! Alright.
You not only listened to your customers/prospects, but you also dug down deep enough to identify the real issue that is bugging them.
Better yet, you have a great solution for them.
Now is not the time to shout it from the rooftops that you have a solution.
The best marketers outline the challenge by walking their customers through the process one step at a time.
We live in a fast paced world.
I get on people all the time who tell me about something cool or that I am really interested in (heck, I would probably buy it) if they had only gave me the link.
Could I find it on my own?Of course, but in this fast paced world we live, you don't want to have your customers do more work than they have to.
So walk them through the path from beginning to end.
When you are telling your story, effective marketers quickly get people's attention by detailing the issue in a way that the vast majority of readers will relate to.
Then provide the solution in a logical manner (which usually means at the end...
you don't give a solution before a problem do you??) Consider doing the following:You will get a much better response by detailing the challenge from the customer's perspective.
They will be much more likely to relate if it comes from their way of thinking.
Your takeaway from this post...
As I said at the top, those that can do the above have a valuable skill set.
But it is something that I believe that everyone can attain if they practice it regularly.
By regularly, I mean everyday!By implementing these actions, you are putting your business, your products and services you provide in a light that separates you from your competition.
If you do this right, you have a powerful tool that will put you at the top of your niche! What are the other things that you feel top marketers do?
You are not just marketing your service or expertise; you are engaged in content marketing or what some call information marketing.
However you deem it in your vocabulary, in essence, it is "THE" currency on the internet.
The trick that you have to overcome is to take that content and then translate it into products that you can sell.
And not just any products.
But products that give the perception of being of high value.
Where all businesses that market on the net now find themselves in is that every business is into (or should be) content marketing.
Because, let's face it...
at the end of the day, we all need help to resolve issues, give us new insights and to separate ourselves from the competition and ultimately get to where we want to financially, emotionally and spiritually People who can do this have a skill set that is indeed considered valuable!And I believe that you all can get there! So...
how do great marketers focus on communicating values that meet our needs? 1.
They are focused! Great marketers choose a niche and stick to it.
They don't try to be all things to all people.
We see some sites that have a calendar of events for things that are in no way related to what their niche is.
This is confusing, dilutes their brand and ends up never getting any real traction.
Their content lacks the focus of what they are truly about.
The better marketers train their audience by giving them information in small, digestible doses.
They provide solutions to people's needs within their niche.
They deliver techniques and solutions.
Consider doing the following: Focus on asking either problem or challenging questions within your niche.
Then tell what needs to be done to resolve the issue.
(Don't worry about telling them what they need to do for free.
They will gladly pay to know how to do it!!) 2.
Great Marketers Don't "Assume" Anything! The challenge with many internet marketers is they believe that the rest of the market thinks like they do.
As a result, they think everyone acts and thinks just like them.
As such, when they deliver a solution, they don't understand why people aren't bowing down in awe.
One of my longest and oldest friends is a guy by the name of Ricke Earle.
I learned a lot from him.
More than he will ever know in fact.
I admired him in so many ways (and continue to although we only talk a few times a year these days) He had these things that I came to call "Earleisms"Well, Earleism #8 was "People don't know what they don't know" Marketers that have the best success understand that they don't know everything and certainly don't believe that everyone thinks or acts like they do!What do they do?They go out and ask where people in their niche are experiencing pain!They find out what frustrates people as well as what problems are at the top of the stack and what challenges can "simmer" for awhile.
They do it under the guise of "research".
Consider doing the following:Ask your customers and prospects what challenges they are facing as a part of your everyday curriculum.
Become a detective and don't think that you understand it when they give you the broad brush answer.
Keep probing until you know the exact cause of their pain.
Do that and the solutions you come up with will meet with much better reception than you have probably been experiencing! 3.
The best marketers test, tweak, test and then repeat! If you market on the internet, you have hopefully come to understand that we live, work and breathe in a fluid, dynamic atmosphere.
In other words, what worked yesterday may not work tomorrow.
That is one of the reasons that how to books that pertain to the internet don't have the success they did initially.
By the time the author wrote it and brought it to the bookshelf, literally years have gone by.
And in the internet world, that is 2 or 3 lifetimes ago.
The bottom line is that if you know that things are changing fast, you should be changing as well!The best marketers don't just sit back on their laurels once they have a successful campaign or product going.
Great marketers are data miners extraordinaire! That saying of "What gets measured gets done!" is so true.
So make sure that whatever you do is truly measurable.
Otherwise, how will you know if you are making progress? Then do what is called split testing.
Split testing is where you make small changes and see if you have more success with those changes.
You are continually making changes to get the best ROI you can.
People have heard me talk about social media marketing like a snow fall.
(One flake [or article] doesn't do much if anything.
But continual snowflakes start to build into a snow storm) Well, in this case, you are working to get the perfect snowflake!Understand you may not ever get there, but the one you end up with will be better than the one you started with! Consider doing the following:For one, get your ego out of the equation.
Don't take up so much ownership in a campaign or program that it can't be improved...
because it can.
Take one part of your marketing and begin measuring your results.
If you paid attention to #2 above, you should know things that you can change that should bring you better results.
4.
Great marketers understand they have to "earn" the right to ask for the sale! One of the hallowed phrases that you hear social media marketers tell prospects over and over again is that people like to do business with those that they know, like and trust.
Keep in mind that social media is a marketing tool (albeit a very important one).
The better marketers understand this.
Sales is a process and you have to respect "the process" Remember the pain that you did in your "research"?Well, let people get to know you by having people understand that you are listening and can indeed provide a solution.
That is where the great content comes in and demonstrates that you indeed know what you are doing.
(Even if you have to give it for free) For those of you "old schoolers" that are long time marketers, but new to the internet, this probably is a different model than what you are used to, but it does work this way (at least now J).
This model is where you deliver so much value, that they come to know you and ultimately to respect you.
Thus, when you do make the sales pitch, they are more likely to respond favorably.
This is how I have explained it to many sales pros (or at least those who purported to be).
Let's say you want to have a baby.
That doesn't mean you can go out and get 9 women pregnant with the expectation a baby will come a month later.
You have to respect the process! Delivering great content over time is a great way to earn trust for not only you, but the goods and services you provide.
Doing that consistently earns you the right to ask for the sale! Consider doing the following:Ask yourself what you are doing to earn the right to sell?Be honest with yourself (another trait of great marketers by the way)If there is something you can do better (and we already know there is), spend the next 30 days overcoming that.
During that time, give away the best solution that you have for free.
5.
You can't be a great marketer if you don't build relationships! Relationships are important in our everyday lives, so why wouldn't they be important here as well? Actually, the best marketers understand that relationships that surround their business are critical to their success.
As a result, they don't try to manipulate them.
They go back to the "know, like, trust" premise and understand that great relationships can further your product/service, be a better advocate than you ever could be (because they are impartial) and have your back in times of crisis (and believe me, those times do come) Social media is a great tool to begin and further relationships.
Just like earning the right to ask for the sale, building and maintaining relationships is a process.
At the end of the day, being authentic is your best approach.
Something to keep in mind.
Relationships are not all about business.
Mix some of your personal interests and find out about others as well.
Consider doing the following:Do a search on twitter or Facebook to identify common interests.
Reach out to them.
Ask how you can support their efforts.
Follow through on your commitments.
Find something about someone everyday that you help for free.
(You don't have to do everything for them, just point them in the right direction.
Even if it means pointing them to someone else!) 6.
Great marketers walk them through the process! Alright.
You not only listened to your customers/prospects, but you also dug down deep enough to identify the real issue that is bugging them.
Better yet, you have a great solution for them.
Now is not the time to shout it from the rooftops that you have a solution.
The best marketers outline the challenge by walking their customers through the process one step at a time.
We live in a fast paced world.
I get on people all the time who tell me about something cool or that I am really interested in (heck, I would probably buy it) if they had only gave me the link.
Could I find it on my own?Of course, but in this fast paced world we live, you don't want to have your customers do more work than they have to.
So walk them through the path from beginning to end.
When you are telling your story, effective marketers quickly get people's attention by detailing the issue in a way that the vast majority of readers will relate to.
Then provide the solution in a logical manner (which usually means at the end...
you don't give a solution before a problem do you??) Consider doing the following:You will get a much better response by detailing the challenge from the customer's perspective.
They will be much more likely to relate if it comes from their way of thinking.
Your takeaway from this post...
As I said at the top, those that can do the above have a valuable skill set.
But it is something that I believe that everyone can attain if they practice it regularly.
By regularly, I mean everyday!By implementing these actions, you are putting your business, your products and services you provide in a light that separates you from your competition.
If you do this right, you have a powerful tool that will put you at the top of your niche! What are the other things that you feel top marketers do?