Archive for Marketing System
Applying the Marketing Hourglass: The Pillars of the Lean Marketing House
Posted by: | CommentsThe Marketing Hourglass is term that John Jantsch, author of Duct Tape Marketing uses and has called it a cornerstone of the Duct Tape Marketing system. I have enclosed an e-book expanding on that principle and showing a variety of uses of the Hourglass. I use this principle as the Pillar in my Lean Marketing House.
John’s blog about the Marketing Hourglass .
Applying the Marketing Hourglass: The Pillars of the Lean Marketing House –
Related E-books:
I believe in a Marketing System
Posted by: | CommentsWhen people start talking to me I normally can tell if we are a good match very quickly, I simply state; "I believe in installing a marketing system ." Depending on the answer, I know right where to slot them in my marketing funnel. Convincing someone in a short amount of time that a system works is very difficult. It has to be nurtured. I have yet to find a process that accelerates that learning curve. Convince someone that a system works is usually a process better served through webinars, ezines, etc.
Here is my normal follow-up after my first comment:
Our experience is that a system will always outperform any other approach. Building a plan on where you are is one of the most important processes that you can do. Then we can define your objectives; develop strategies to achieve them, and then institute tactics to carry out your strategies. If your objectives are not being met, your strategies and tactics may need to be changed. But without a baseline and a plan to work from, the process and achievements are only arbitrary.
Systems do not complicate your life, they make it easier. The secret to any good system is how well it can be tailored to what you need NOW. The system is developed and implemented around your needs, not the other way around. An effective marketing process spans from lead generation through sales closure. Pick one area at a time and make a commitment to improve that. You might have a long list, but you have to start somewhere and before too long you’ll have dramatically improved."
As an example, most businesses have no marketing, nor sales process whatsoever. Too often you think of marketing as manipulative tricks to get prospects to notice and respond. The truth is marketing is a process of presenting real value in an attractive, competent and compelling manner. In the marketing process you need to have questions prepared, value points outlined, and an understanding of exactly when to listen and when to ask for action. When a prospect says, "I’ll think about it," they really mean, "You blew it."
So tell me, do you need a SYSTEM, Or do you need to think about it?
To be effective – HOW COOL does your marketing have to be?
Posted by: | CommentsI am just not sure you can make anything that is cool enough anymore to really be an eye-stopper. The only ad that I think of right away, is the Apple notebook that fits in an envelope.
After a recent presentation to a group of start-up businesses, I asked for feedback. The only negative feedback I received was that someone was really looking for that Aha moment. Or that one great thing to do in marketing that could help them jettison their product or service.
Why is that? I think inexperience marketers always wonder why little of their marketing works. They run ads, get PR and time and time again are baffled that just little works in the way of marketing. I disagree that there is not anything that works. I believe just about eve
rything works, but only just a little. The world has become so fragmented on the way it receives information that you have to reach even a very target audience in numerous ways. I think that is why building a community with your existing customers is being emphasized. If they are targeted enough and have a strong enough dependency on your product or service, you will have the ability to communicate with them.
In implementing a Duct Tape Marketing System that Aha moment comes when the customer finally discovers their Target Market/Ideal Client. Immediately after that time it seems that their core message materializes and their marketing messages start following a defined path.
Even with have a defined message, you still have to use numerous methods to reach your audience. Again, there is not one way that is going to work. But what does work is great content and linkage. You must link every single event together and build on that. Think like a spider web. Every connection you make, you must find a way to link it to another event or another instance and to another and to another. Soon you will have started to spin your web and when you start collaboration you can start tying their net into yours.
It gets a little more elaborate than this but if you are looking for that big bang from a marketing firm, I don’t think it is there. I just don’t think it can be made cool enough for you!
