Dear Fellow Dream Builder;
In the left corner we have the heavyweight champion of the world. The 800lb gorilla called “A-D-V-E-R-T-I-S-I-N-G”. In the right corner we have lithe and nimble, 150lb soaking wet “M-A-R-K-E-T-I-N-G”.
And here’s where the story gets interesting. The David known as marketing is going to kick Goliath known as Advertising’s butt. I’m going to tell you why exactly that is. I see this way too often in my clients, they get bamboozled by fast talking ad execs and other advertising salespeople. How do I know? Well besides the fact that they tell me, I can see it in their marketing which really is just advertising.
Now, I don’t necessarily have anything wrong with advertising per se. But leave it to the big boys. Those who can spend millions just on some cute jingle or brand awareness campaign, and those who don’t care about testing or tracking.
But for small business owners like yourselves, confusing advertising with marketing is going to be the kiss of death to your business. Let me explain.
Advertising is money spent on putting your name out there with no consideration about your customer or what they might like. Furthermore, advertising is very often not tracked. Sure, Superbowl ads might look flashy, but are they trackable? And if they aren’t who can say whether they are effective.
Marketing on the other hand is reaching out to your customers with information they want and need. It also requires tracking and testing in order to find the best message or offer. Think about it from a personal point of view. Which of the following scenarios is likely to get your attention but further than that, get you to buy.
a) A plumbing company who leaves a door hanger on your front door, which is flashy, has lots of images and talks all about how great that plumbing company is. Or,
b) A plumbing company who leaves a door hanger with a neat picture of a smiling plumber in a clean uniform. The rest of the hanger gives you 5 tips on how to check for leaks yourself and then they mention that they were just servicing a neighbour and would love to offer you a free inspection with no strings attached if you call now.
This is based on a real example. And you likely know which plumbing company had the most success. It’s b.
All of your marketing (and I’m using that term now) is about building a deeper relationship with your customer so that will be with you longer and spend more money. You do this through conversation. You do this through thinking about what is in the best interest of your customer. You do this by seeking first to be of service. It is then that you will receive the business bounty you desire.
Seeing YOUR big picture,
Jason
