Without first identifying the audience with whom you seek to engage, there will be no marketing strategy identifying prospects and converting them to customers. An audience has two equally-important components. They are a group viewing and engaging with us on a platform we control.
Evaluate your messages and materials to differentiate if you are Telling or Selling. Many companies make a big mistake based on how they blend information and conversion.
While both are required within your overall strategy, too many people blend them inappropriately. This ultimately leads to confusion from prospects and customers because there is not a clear expectation for what response you seek within that interaction.
We have all been in a situation where there is a clear choice to be made, but we seek an easier or quicker alternative. Often, more time is wasted looking for “better” options where the problem or issue could have already been resolved while we dither.
If you follow SEO topics, announcements of Google Core Algorithm updates always seem to bring out the complainers and naysayers. It’s understandable when we realize that most businesses want to focus more on their business than the continuous tinkerings with websites and web content that they have to endure to get (or keep) good search rankings. It can understandably feel more like a never-ending (and always-changing) game of sorcery and spell-casting. At the foundations, it is actually much simpler of a problem to solve, but one that feels more challenging to solve when we lack a structured plan to address it.
I sometimes talk about what I call the “Rule of Proximity”. It states that “Things are rarely as good or as bad as they seem in the moment”.
We all face challenges and it is usually in the midst of those challenges that our faith and hope are at their weakest. There is a difference between pivoting and quitting; we all need to be learning the difference!
While normal ad rates may be at their peaks on platforms like TV, Radio, and Print. there are available “overflow” slots that can be purchased in those areas if you seek and find them. Identifying these fringe “bargains” is a great way to advertise competitively with larger companies with a much smaller budget. If your market is locally-targeted or you serve a specific niche (who congregate around a specific topic/media), you would do well to look into some of these areas.
We often undermine our position in negotiations by our attitude, behavior, or aggressiveness at inappropriate times. How many times do we fail to achieve our goals because of how we treat other people who might be perceived in a lower position?
As of this writing, former Vice President Joe Biden has been declared the President-elect after currently being ahead in enough states to get him over the 270 Electoral Vote threshold.
Congratulations if you supported Biden. It was a tightly-contested and close race, but barring changes from the upcoming recounts and court proceedings, he will be our 46th President of the United States.
The problems of buying leads include:
(1) Quality of leads varies widely which manifests as motivation for potential prospects. Buying leads who are unmotivated to action is a waste of both time and money.
(2) Instead of acquisition cost decreasing as we learn and adapt, the costs of buying leads usually increase over time. Gains from effectiveness benefit the lead seller much greater than the buyer.
While it may not be “all” growth occurring outside the fence, it is completely the case that growth comes at a faster pace when we are outside the confines of our “safe” boundaries.
This reality has manifested throughout human history as we have gathered into tribes or cities for security and community. However, too often being confined among those only like us limits our development and growth as the challenges or obstacles we face become repetitive.
