Before You Quit, Recommit

Instant gratification should never be part of the marketing
scenario. That isn't to say that once a marketing campaign has
been launched we won't welcome instant results, but more times
than not, it takes a bit more grit to push a campaign toward it's
desired results. Many, many business owners quit their marketing
strategy before it has had a realistic amount of time to really
work. Rather than quit your campaign, tweak it. Adjust, be
flexible, and track results for a committed period of time.
Just because it isn't working, doesn't mean it won't work.

So before you quit, recommit by evaluating your strategy as
follows:

1. Is the campaign diverse enough?
Don't depend on one element in marketing to get the job done.
Often it's diversifying that makes the biggest impact. In
other words, don't just put out classified ads. Consider solo
ads, opt-in email campaigns, newsletter publishing, article
publishing, article syndication, affiliate programs, etc.
Putting your name out there by every conceivable means will
enable you to increase exposure and pull in results.

Consumers begin to feel they know you because they keep seeing
you pop up. This in turn creates confidence in your buying
audience. Plan a campaign that is several levels deep instead
of depending on one avenue to bring in business.

2. Are you tracking results for each campaign?
Tracking does not mean just the acquisition of a sale. Aha, I
got a sale therefore it must be working. This isn't not
tracking simply because you have no idea which method brought
in the sale.

Use coded URL's for each campaign to track the real time results.
It's as easy as adding a little coding to your domain name in
the ad. Have your technical person help by setting up tracking
URL's to utilize in all your campaigns. Keep each tracking
system separate for each campaign so that you can monitor the
results. Then give the campaign time to send you real results.
Often you need two to three weeks before you can determine if a
particular advertising method is working. If it isn't don't
abandon ship just yet.

3. Are you hitting your target market?
The most frequent problem with an advertising campaign is the
market you are targeting. If it is off, even just slightly, it
may flop horrendously. If a particular marketing campaign is
not pulling leads that turn into sales, look closely to be sure
that you are indeed hitting your target market? Evaluate who
is reading your ads or promotions and if these people are the
very best people to market your service or product. A little
adjustment can go a long way toward increasing sales.

4. Are you providing payment options?
This one is easy. You may be bringing in the leads, but no one
is buying. Why? It's often your payment options. If you only
accept PayPal or snail mail orders your doomed on the Internet.
The fact is that 95% of online buyers will use a credit card to
make an online purchase. If you are not accepting this form of
payment, it's time you did.

Many business owners resist the credit card avenue because they
think the process to a merchant account will be long, tedious,
or frustrating. These days that is just not so. Accepting
credit cards has never been easier and the process is quick and
painless. The best part is that your business will propel
itself to the next level of profits and your website will
suddenly go from amateur to professional in status!

5. Is your message clear?
Are you marketing messages clear? Do they make sense to what
you are selling? Will the reader understand within 2 seconds
what you are offering? Although every ad must include a certain
level of sales psychology, keep in mind that today's consumer is
smart and busy. Make sure your message is clear or your one
click away from the trash bin.

6. Are you over-hyped?
This has been taught over and over again, yet email boxes
around the globe are cluttered with hype. Hype does one thing
and one thing only, it irritates. It tells the consumer they
are too stupid to "get your product". Speak intelligently to
your target buyers. Answer the only question they care about;
"what's in it for them?"

7. Are you following through?
Lastly, follow through. All the leads in the world won't do
you a bit of good if your follow through slacks off. Remember
that you have put in hours of hard work for those leads.
Follow through with each one and put yourself in front of your
buyer to explain the benefits and answer questions. Great
follow through techniques equal increased sales.

Marketing campaigns take time to work and patience to tweak.
All too many business owners throw their business away without
giving it time to mature. Allow each process in your
promotional strategy to "grow up" and allow yourself the
patience to let it evolve. In time, you will notice remarkable
gains and valuable lessons that can be utilized time and time
again.