Articles
Avoid the buzz that causes reactive marketing and costs a fortune!
by Stacey Ackerman, M.A.
What is caffeinated marketing? It's a buzz reaction we get when business is down. This buzz reaction causes us to do crazy things in our business that we wouldn't ordinarily do if we were thinking with a clear head.
Some buzz marketing that I've observed from my clients (and have been guilty of myself from time to time) involves:
- Calling everyone you know and begging and pleading for business, even if they are not likely buyers for your service. "I know you don't own a house, but you must need a mortgage today".
- Signing our lives away to the next advertising rep that walks through the door. You give the rep a big hug and plead for help – after all, you need sales now! The ad guys love this, but your wallet may regret it later.
- Frantically waiting for the phone to ring. And waiting. And waiting.
- Sending out direct mail flyers to everyone with a pulse and being disappointed by the .000000001% return rate.
If you've experienced any of these caffeinated marketing reactions, you're not alone. We live in an instant gratification society and when business doesn't accelerate overnight, we feel defeated.
But remember, caffeinated marketing is bad for business! It causes us to lose focus of our long-term goals and objectives. We seem to forget why we're in business in the first place and succumb ourselves to desperation.
Caffeinated marketing also makes us spend money unwisely, by buying reactively. There is no one magic advertising vehicle that will instantly grow your business. If it were that easy, I'd be writing this article from my beach house in Tahiti!
My colleagues hear me say this way too often, but "marketing is a process, not a project." I can't emphasize this statement enough. You can't put an ad in the paper today and call it marketing.
Marketing is a process of understanding your position in the marketplace, identifying the people that need your service and finding the right mix of tools to reach those people. Over. And over. And over again!
Consumers today have more choices than ever before. You need to have a strategic plan in place to know how to reach them most effectively, and carry out this plan during all cycles of your business.
Keep sipping away at your marketing efforts, and you'll be on your way to having Decaf Marketing!
Practical, affordable marketing that works.
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