On the heels of last week’s guest post by Susan Blake, I thought I’d do a short follow-up on overcoming doubt.

I suspect that it is very common to feel like you “rawk” at certain skills, that you “know your stuff” and yet… there are times where you just feel like perhaps you don’t actually “rawk” at all. Self-doubt is a terrible, terrible nemesis.

When I offered to help my father run his commercial millwork company I was green.  Like Kermit green.  I was 25 and knew nothing about construction.  I didn’t know how to read a blue print, I had no idea what a shaper was, I had never purchased a nail or drawer guide; I was out of my element.

When I offered to partner with my significant other to start an automotive repair business specializing in Porsches… I had no idea what an intake valve looked like or a piston.  I certain didn’t speak German and worse yet I had no idea where to start learning how to purchase parts and attract customers.

But I wasn’t an idiot, right? Right!  I knew how to “figure things out”.  I knew how to grab books and search online.  I knew how to ask questions and sleuth.  And, that’s what I did.

I figured out where to find aftermarket vendors so I wouldn’t have to pay dealership prices.  I called a rival when I didn’t know what to do about a no-pay customer whose car I still had.  I scanned parts boxes looking for clues about how to go direct to manufacturer to save money.  I simply “did”.

The very worst part of marketing one’s self or one’s business is that we sometimes just don’t know where to start.  We know what we can do and can’t do.  We know what we are good at.  We know where we shine.  But “so what” if no one else knows it? So how do you tell people you’re awesome without sounding like a pompous jerk?

Both the construction business and the auto business were built on referrals.  No advertising what I like to call Remarketing 2.0.  And that raises a very serious question about your business.  How can you do the same?

Communicate.  It is a simple as that.  When we started the auto biz we went to every related event where our customers could be and we talked.  We chatted with folks we knew and met new folks we didn’t know.  At first it was hard.  But when we finally acquired a customer with a tough problem no one else could fix… then everyone else started talking about us too.  That created something of value to talk about.  Everyone wanted to know how we’d done it and what had happened.

It became something different to talk about and we used it to our advantage.  Then other folks who had seemingly “unsolvable” problems started to call.

So my best advice is this –  start talking.  Don’t “tell”.  Simply ask, offer and help.  Squeeze your story in as an example or talk about what you love about what you do.  Share and listen.  Then, share and listen some more.

Does it take time?  Yep.  What doesn’t?  You aren’t a scam, you are a legitimate business.  Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you need 100,000 followers on twitter or Facebook to get anywhere.  My auto repair business supports two people and two dogs and two Porsches comfortably with only 200 customers.  Focus on meeting and connecting with the right 200 people.

No go on… get to it!

©2012 Marketing Unhinged. All Rights Reserved.

I spent quite a bit of cash buying stuff last year; I know lots of you did too.  And I’d have to say I was disappointed 75% of the time.  That’s a lot, 75%.

I purchased ebooks and guides, interactive classes, books, forum access, consulting time…the works.

Now, to be fair, I did purchase things as “research”, to get a feel for what others were doing and not necessarily because I needed the content.  But even in researching something you have to review it.

I’d say 25% were pretty fantastic but….the 75%, uggg, not so great and for a variety of reasons.  I’m not going to tell you who the 75% are because I’m not interested in making enemies!  I will, however, tell you what went wrong.  The fantastic 25% I will tell you all about because it was really good stuff!

The 75%

Okay there were a variety of reasons I felt this stuff was below average and there were some reoccurring themes so let’s go over them so you don’t make the same mistakes.

The Product

It goes without saying that when you launch a product it should be complete.  But I found that many of the products I purchased either needed me to purchase something else or were so vague as to be completely useless.  And, spelling folks, it’s a big one.

• Make sure that what you are asking people to buy is independent and useful.  By independent I mean, I should be able to learn whatever you tell me I will without having to purchase something else.
• Useful; well it goes without saying that if you are going to teach me calligraphy, by the end of the class/ebook I should know how to do it.  Topic overviews are for Wikipedia, get in-depth and teach me something.
• Spelling.  Wow.  I cannot believe some of the spelling errors I found.  A good spell check will catch stuff and you should have someone proof read your finished product.
• Finally, it doesn’t have to be super fantastic looking but every little bit helps so put in a little bit of effort.

Cut ‘n Paste

If your customers come from the online world then they might be a bit more savvy than you give them credit for!  So much stuff out there is a simple cut-n-paste of someone else’s work.  Yes, you probably do know more than the average person out there… but if you are just going to the library and regurgitating someone else’s concepts… it’s not okay.

Sure, I agree that very few things are new, but when you present something it should be “fresh” with new and relevant stories and examples.  If you are re-hashing the same stories over and over because you pulled them from someone else’s book or content, I call that a big *fail*.

Get original.  Sure we all know what a SWOT analysis is so why are you re-telling me?  And if you are re-telling me are you making it relevant to my mini-business?  If not, stop now, please, because there are hundreds of products out there with that stuff in it already.

Much of the digital ‘infoproduct’ stuff I read this year was a take-off of someone else’s work or concepts without any new or fresh information.  Seriously, if I hear one more person tell me about Saddleback Leather I’m gonna… (I’ll think of something).

Consulting

Well I have to say this one turned out pretty bad for me.  What surprised me about the whole consulting thing was the out and out dishonesty about the whole system.  In fact, as a result of some of my experiences I removed all consulting from my services page!

Here’s what I found:

• Utter lack of responsibility.  What do I mean by responsibility?  It means showing up, on time (I’m a stickler for tardiness).  I was surprised at the ease with which, for someone who is paid in “top dollars”, cancelling a session over personal problems could be.  Let’s face it we all have personal problems that arise from time to time.  Or how easy it was to completely miss an appointment altogether without notice or follow up.  And finally, moving the appointment over and over because “I’m behind schedule” or “I forgot our call” or whatever.  Seriously, if someone is paying you, you cannot be flippant about their investment in you.This is so incredibly jaw-dropping to me that I was stunned over and over again by the lack of respect to the person essentially paying your bills/paycheck/however you want to look at it.And after the shock I was depressed.  Let’s give this some thought.  I’m paying a consultant to help me grow my business but they totally forget about the scheduled call.  I’m sitting by my phone, waiting for the call, an hour passes and I think maybe it’s just a time zone thing so I keep waiting.  After an hour and fifteen minutes I decide I’ve simply been *forgotten*.  So how does that make me feel?  Here’s someone I’ve paid a lot of money to for their help and I’m simply forgotten, I’m very low importance, I don’t count, I don’t matter.If you intend to offer some kind of coaching or consulting service, before you do, think hard about how you would expect to be treated and be respectful to the person paying your fee.

• Lack of useful advice.  Surprisingly many consultants don’t actually have answers or directed advice.  I was a little taken aback by this.  I assumed that I would show up to the session, prepared with specific questions and needs and that I would leave the session with answers and ideas.  This didn’t happen.  I purchased a package of consulting and I thought, hmmmm maybe it’s me.  So before the next call I spent a good 30 minutes trying to outline where I’m at, where I want to be, questions, needs, etc.It didn’t change anything.  I was prepared but the consultant wasn’t entirely qualified to help me with building my business even though that was the guise under which the consulting package was offered.  Which leads me to broken promises and I’ll get into that a bit more in minute.

• No follow-up whatsoever.  In a local consulting environment your consultant shows up and you meet with them, they chat with you and then provide a list of suggestions.  That is what I think of as consulting.  But, online it seems as if consulting is more like coaching, there’s no report, no follow up, no written recommendations.And here’s the thing, some stuff does require a bit of stewing.  When I did do consulting it started out with questions to get a feel for what the session would be about, after the session I did a follow up email with a brief review of the discussion and ideas, finally I would do a Friday Follow-up.  Basically just a quick list of reminders or questions to keep folks motivated.Seems like a lot of work but it really wasn’t, more importantly though, it makes your client feel important.  It shows you care about them and, here’s the thing, a marketing lesson for you… if you follow up and show you care you create an opportunity to get more work.

Broken Promises

I think this burned my hide the most – the complete lack of keeping promises.  So many sales page promises and none of them kept.  If you tell me you can help me build my business then you probably should do that instead of spending an hour on the phone telling me about you.

Or the sales page that promises two classes a week but you only really get one a month.

Or the sales page that promises to turn your business around in three months, but doesn’t actually show you how to do that.

Perhaps I’m bitter.

But I suspect that many of you have had the same experience and didn’t want to say anything because you feared the retaliation.  And retaliation does happen, I’ve seen it.  Instead of someone saying, “Hey wait you aren’t happy? Why? What can I do? What went wrong?” more often than not they just become defensive and tell us we’re doing it wrong.

So, we don’t say anything to the seller of the product and we simply don’t review it on our blogs.  If someone asks we might tell them in confidence what we think but all in all we simply just drop it, feeling scammed.

The 25%

But alas all is not lost!  There were a couple of things I thought were awesome so I’ll tell you about those.

The first is Danielle La Porte’s The Firestarter Sessions digital experience.  The content was good, the story was fresh and the design was awesome.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and felt it was worth the price.

The second is Sonia Simone’s Remarkable Marketing Blueprint.  The content is very good and the forum is even better.  She has created a great community of folks who provide help and support.  I wish Sonia were on the forums a bit more but that is the only complaint I can come up with.

The third is Teaching Sells, boy has Brian Clark with Sonia Simone and others done a terrific job with this interactive learning environment.  It is first rate in content and presentation.  The forums are filled with great and helpful folks.  There are newbies and old timers there to answer questions and provide support.  If you are interested in creating an interactive learning environment I cannot recommend this program enough.

The fourth is Blog Post Engineering by Dave Doolin at Website in a Weekend.  It is not only comprehensive and wayyyy too cheap but Dave also provides regular updates to the product and sends them to you for free.  Another person putting his customers first.

So there you have it my favorite digital information products.  They provide exactly what they say they will provide and, in my opinion, more. (No affiliate links here.)

In the end…

If you are planning on creating something to sell, I encourage you to do it but to first make sure you can provide an awesome product or service because the folks giving you money deserve nothing less!

The point in all this is that as a service and product provider it is critical to provide useful stuff and to be honest about what you are selling someone.  Let’s face it; if I’m going to spend a couple of hundred hard-earned dollars on your stuff, I expect to get something worth every dime and to get what I was promised.  It is an expectation that every customer has and you must respect it if you hope to build your business and rise above the crowd.

What product or service experiences did you have last year?  Tell us in the comments.

©2012 Marketing Unhinged. All Rights Reserved.

Okay, here’s my week in a nutshell…donuts, broken Porsches, more donuts, 15 miles of running Sat to Thursday, one meaty blog post, and doggie costumes.

Really, that was my week.  Did I tell you about the donuts?

Last weekend was Blog World I was not there…

When you have a $300k contract and something comes up, you sort of have to skip Blog World.  I’ve read tweets and blog posts and it sounded great!

20 Things

Last week, I posted my 20 Things You May Not Know About Me post.  It had been sitting on my computer for many weeks.  I suppose I was being a little bit shy about posting it.

First, it isn’t about marketing so I thought why am I doing this…but then I realized it very much is about marketing.

Engaging your customers and potential customers is a big deal in our very busy world.  The idea that when you come to my site you are in fact dealing with a real person makes a difference, it matters.

I encourage everyone to do their 20 Things list.  I think it makes a good addition to your overall content.  Best part, it was my highest traffic day ever.

Meaty Post

This week I wrote about Lady Gaga’s meat dress and was slapped into knowledge by @Tzaddi who let me know, in no uncertain terms, that Lady Gaga is a damn thief.  Check this out: Meat Dress Circa 1984.  From now on I will be doing some source checking or just let the readers keep me in line.

BUT the good news is…I came up with Remarketing 2.0 which currently has not been stolen.  It’s just a matter of time, what with all my celebrity and all.  But it’s mine, all mine.  I’m not giving it up and I will use all of you as witnesses.  Plus, there will likely be a car chase scene.

The Interwebs

I was also out and about at An Encouraging Bird talking engagement in a marketing sort of way, not an “I want to marry you” sort of way.  It was my second post in The Zen of Marketing series.  You should check it out if you haven’t already.

Halloween

Yes it’s just around the corner.  Last year I dressed Sparky up as a candy corn and sent the photo along with a coupon and a bag of candy corn to my Porsche customers.  This year Sparky asked to be a ghost…but then Bella wanted to be a ghost too.  So now there’s a dog fight…  The important part here is…dog pics and candy corn are effective marketing, the customers love it.  Nevermind my chasing the dogs around with a camera.

Okay so that’s The Wrap.  Sorry I missed last week, but really, I had nothing good.  But this week, WOW, juicy!  And if you’re paying attention there’s like 3 really good marketing lessons in here.  If you missed any of them…go back and read again!

©2012 Marketing Unhinged. All Rights Reserved.

Okay, I want to be totally up front with you… I did not make up the word ‘Remarketing’, in fact… I stole it.

Then after I heard it I went online to see if anyone else was using the term and I found a definition.  However, the person I stole it from was using it for an entirely different reason.  Stress.  What to do.

Then it struck me, I can just update it.  Right?  Riiiiiiight.

And guess what – couldn’t find it on Google.  So it’s mine people, mine.

Remarketing 2.0

Now after all that you might be wondering what the heck Remarketing 2.0 is all about, so I’m going to tell you.

Remarketing 2.0 is basically “word of mouth” marketing.  It is the concept of having your awesome customers, your fans, go out into the world and tell other people about you.  These fans are essentially remarketing you and your business.

Who doesn’t want a bunch of folks walking around talking about them?  It’s free advertising.

But there’s a catch.

The only way to be remarketed is to be remarkable.  If your business isn’t giving anyone anything to talk about then your fans won’t be talking.

Unexpected

In a recent 10MMM I talked about the strategy I call “Be Unexpected”.  The idea is that if you do something unexpected, you become memorable and then, people talk.

Not that Lady Gaga wasn’t already interesting enough…when she donned an outfit made of meat, boy did she get people talking.  People who don’t generally talk about Lady Gaga were talking about Lady Gaga and her meat dress.

Now aside from being a bit unexpected, Lady Gaga’s meat dress was intended to shock and get attention.  Unexpected can be big and shocking but sometimes it can be something small.

Cleanliness Counts

In the 10MMM I use our Porsche repair shop as an example.  Most automotive repair shops are dirty, greasy, and yucky.  Ours was clean.  It wasn’t a strategy at first but after people commented on it time and time again, we realized that it was unique and in our industry, unexpected.  It got people talking.

When we think about the businesses we frequent and the brands we follow, many times there is a very unexpected feature to them.  It’s something you might be surprised to find or don’t expect to see.  Again, it can be small or shocking.

Exploit

So the key here is to find the “unexpected” in your business or create it.  Then, exploit the heck out of it.   Get people talking about you and what you are doing; give them something to tell other folks about.

With Facebook, Twitter and online forums your unexpected can go viral quickly.

We often times get referrals from a specialized forum because people (our customers) are talking.  Imagine my surprise when I received a phone call here in Arizona from Ireland wanting Porsche help.  We looked at a car, prepared it for transport and got the car shipped to Ireland.  That would not have happened without social media and Remarketing 2.0.

Whether you have a coffee shop, online pet products web site or an internet consulting biz, give your customers something to talk about and when they do reward them.

And if anyone asks you what the heck Remarketing 2.0 means…tell ‘em it’s MINE!

(Photo Courtesy of Fred Fokkelman)

©2012 Marketing Unhinged. All Rights Reserved.

In the spirit of what others have done recently, I thought I’d slap up my own list of stuff.

I promise there’s nothing scary here.

My thought is that you’ll find something interesting and connect with me on Twitter because I LOVE Twitter.  I also LOVE Skype.  I’ve met some of the coolest people on Twitter and I am truly loving the online connection and conversations I’m having.

So, without further adieu, “da list”:

1.  I am an extroverted introvert.  Yes, it’s true.  Once I know you I won’t shut up but until then I’m a little shy…

2.  I’m a runner.  It took me a long time to learn to say that.  I figured since I’m slow I couldn’t really call myself a runner.  But I have finally realized that once you complete a ½ Marathon slow or not slow…you’re a damn runner!

3.  I like to drive fast.  I’m an 18 year Porsche Club member which gives us access to autocrossing events and track events.  This year I took first place in my class in autocrossing for our region.  I have done a Concours and placed first in my class as well and although I like to keep my car nice…cleaning every single nook and cranny and then having some guy come over with a white glove and find a speck somewhere…once was enough.

4.  I’m terrified of drowning and just as scared of heights.  I have no idea why.  I hate getting on ladders, freaks me out and of course everyone thinks I’m nuts.  I did manage to get through dive school without freaking out too bad but let’s just say no one will want to scuba with me!

5.  Coffee.  I love coffee.  Can’t get enough coffee.  Three mugs in the morning, iced in the afternoon and a nice big mug before bed.  Mmmmmmm coffee.

6.  Can we talk donuts….  I love donuts, I can’t help myself.  Sweets in general do me in.  I cannot leave a restaurant serving creme brulee unless I have some.  If I see a cupcake I lose all self control.  Put marshmallows on it and I become a raving lunatic.

7.  I have a degree in film and television production.  Yes I wanted to be a film director.  Then I moved to LA…

8.  I worked at Playboy in Beverly Hills for 5 months.  Great place to work, nice people mostly.  Yes, I went to the Mansion.

9.  I’ve got this thing about acquiring knowledge.  I can’t help myself.  I read and read and read.  I love books!  Mostly I read business, some science, some economics, love books about the brain.  And then I have this little thing for mystery books and Jack Reacher.

10.  The Wizard of Oz, The Color Purple and The Sound of Music are my favorite movies.  And I’m not ashamed of that.

11.  Absolutely hate having my picture taken.  I’m much more interesting in person.

12.  I’m one of those odd ducks who honestly believes that action speaks louder than words.

13.  I really believe that being successful has a lot to do with being decisive.  You’ve got to just go for it sometimes.  Pick a path and take it.  You might be very surprised at what comes of it.

14.  I think my favorite color is currently orange…it will probably change.

15.  I mostly think that people are good when you give them a chance but I also see that people can be awfully self-involved and myopic.  So I give people a pretty long rope, good people will show their goodness in small and significant ways without ever knowing it.  And the other folks, well they will show their true selves as well.  When someone shows you their true self, believe them, it is who they are.

16.  Dogs, not cats.  I had a cat once…  Now I have two dogs, my furry babies.  The puppy is a black lab and the old lady is a black lab, terrier mix…kind of like “mini me”.

17.  I am a well-documented migraineur.  (That means I get migraines and no I don’t have a hole in my heart.)  I try very hard not to let it derail me.  Does it suck, yep.  Do I complain, yep.  But hey, it could be worse right?  Right!  So all I can say about dealing with migraines since I was 16 is this…management.

18.  I absolutely am a sun-freak.  I live in the desert because I love the sun!!!  One cloudy day and I get very, very crabby.

19.  My hair is naturally curled and yes, I hate it.  My hair used to be stick straight and yes, I hated it.  It is not something I understand…my hair or why I care.

20.  I’m pretty much an optimist.  I strongly believe that things work themselves out in necessary ways because we need to learn something or grow in some way.  Even when it seems like the outside forces are closing in.  We are never without options.

There! Now you know a bit more although I’ve saved all the really interesting stuff for volume two.  Now it’s your turn.  A short post like this can speak volumes to your customers.

Simply stated, we like to do business with people we like and people we can connect with.  I’d love to learn more about you and I’m sure your customers would too.

©2012 Marketing Unhinged. All Rights Reserved.

So not too much exciting happened this week.  I have several guest posts in the queue and, therefore, did not get anything written here for this week.  However, if you need a little M:U more than once a week…sign up for the 10MMM, it comes out every Monday.  Very easy and quick marketing advice.

Marketing…it is such a big topic.  There are so many things to talk about so many things to cover and I sometimes struggle with what things you readers want and need to know.  I’m open to email questions anytime you have a quick question or a topic suggestion, please don’t be shy especially if you are struggling with something, because then somehow I’ll find out and feel bad…and end up eating a box of donuts…

The photo above is one of mine, for a change.  I’d forgotten I had these hidden away on the computer.  I had an opportunity to see a Chihuly exhibit here in Phoenix, Az, at our local botanical garden.  It was absolutely amazing.  If you have a chance to see one of his exhibits at any time, “DO IT”.  It is sooooooo worth it! You can learn more about Chihuly here >> www.Chihuly.com.

Sheena Easton

Ahhhhhh yes, 80′s music, I love it!  And, I was treated with an opportunity to see Ms. Easton perform last week.  She belted out all the 80′s tunes from the past, including the slutty ones.  She claims she is 51, I hope I look that good at 51.

Here’s the thing…she walked through the audience, sat on guy’s laps, rubbed their heads, shook hands.  During the show she chatted and joked and teased.  It was a very small venue.  And, it wasn’t full.  When she walked through the audience and  the lights were turned up…Ms. Easton clearly knew this.  Yet, for an hour and half she sang her heart out, danced and strutted, smiled and told stories.  She thanked everyone graciously for attending.  At the end, she stayed on stage at the front and anyone who wanted a hand shake and a chance to say hi was welcome to do so.

Marketing lesson…absolutely!  Ms. Easton is clearly someone who understands the value of her customers.  It doesn’t matter how many customers you have, if they are young or old, if they are big spenders or small spenders; it just doesn’t matter.  Every single one of them is a priceless commodity and should be treated as such.   Ms. Easton is very much a marketing rock star.

The Quest for Honesty

I don’t know a kinder, sweeter soul than Eleanor Edwards of Heaven and El.  She is on a mission to help people reach their dreams.  More importantly she is on a mission to be the absolute best person she can be and to do it with the conviction of honesty and truth.  Don’t we all wish we knew more people like that?!  Well, now you can!  El is on Twitter @HeavenAndEl and online at www.HeavenAndEl.com.

Today she released a new ebook, completely Free, no signup required, although once you read it I think you’ll be inclined to follow El around the interwebs.  Best of all…the videos…you’ve got to check out an El video.  She has the cutest little accent and smile!  Here’s one of my favorite! >> The Quest for Honesty.

Until next week Have A Great Weekend everyone!

©2012 Marketing Unhinged. All Rights Reserved.

So, the week is coming to a close and it’s time for The Wrap. Here we go!

Free! No Strings Attached

This week I decided to make the Twitter for Profit ebook available to everyone.  Previously it was for subscribers of the 10MMM only.

Letting stuff go without strings attached, i.e. no sign up required, didn’t require much of me emotionally.  I had been intending to do it but just hadn’t had time to make the page and links and so forth.  But for some, giving stuff away for free is very, very hard.

You’ve poured your energy into it and you’d like to think someone would be willing to give you an email address at the very least.  But there are rewards to letting stuff go without strings attached.  I think you should give it a try.

Here’s the thing, from a business perspective we are all trying to get folks into our ‘funnel’. We want customers or potential customers anyway and we’ve been told that building a list is the way to get them and that is true to some extent.  But an email address is currency and each person assigns a different value to that currency.  My email address is worth, say, $150 (just a number) and I come to your site and you want my $150 in exchange for an ebook.  Both sides have to ask the question, is it worth it?

By allowing me to have something for free, you let me, as a prospect, decide whether or not I like what you have to say and want more.  If you’ve done a great job, I’ll be back. There’s a trust building going on, and some other psychological stuff….but hey this is just The Wrap so I gotta keep it short!

So give it some thought.  Consider it.  People on the subscriber list will still get first shot at newly released stuff but then out it goes out to whoever wants it.

SXSW

It is official I’m going to SXSW! Now, what to wear…

Best part is I’m meeting up with and staying with some awesome people that I’ve met online through forums and classes and twitter. This is really going to be very exciting! The Seven Amigos are all on Twitter so if you want to follow them and learn about what they do it would be very cool. The other six “Amigos” are: @CaroleABrown (aka my cousin)also @CB4wildlife (New Rules of Book Publishing & Ecosystem Gardening; @GrandmaMaryShow aka @AndreaVahl (Grandma Mary Show); @PamelaIWilson (Big Brand System); @SuccessfulGardn (Successful Garden Design); @tzaddi (Have a Smoothie); @LisaWood Sprout New Media

Introducing Butterflies

Next up, my Twitter BFF has finally launched her site formally and I’m excited about it! If you follow my tweets at all you know I’m a very big fan of Teresa Deak’s photos at PicsieChick.com but what you don’t know is she’s doing social media too! Enter the butterflies…

She is the brains behind my Twitter background and is a pro at connecting online with people.

So check her new site out at SocialButterflySolutions.com and follow her on Twitter @picsiechick…

In the meantime… Have a great Weekend!

Photo courtesy of tanakawho

©2012 Marketing Unhinged. All Rights Reserved.

“My friend is concerned that his work will be overshadowed by [Competition] who happens to be so much more popular…”

It is a complete waste of energy to worry about your competition’s customers.  What you, as a business owner, should be using your energy on is how you can use what you know about your competition to raise your profile, increase your sales and market share and confirm that you are, in fact, a viable entry into the market.

If you are a “me too” business then you cannot compete against a bigger more popular business.  Even if you are better looking and better at building widgets.  However, if you are a new entry with a new angle, a specialty, a niche, then it’s time to get to know the competition and use them to do your market research.

Likely if you are “different” from your competition, in whatever way, your competition is the best library for your market research.

Here are five ways to do that market research simply, easily and effectively.

1.         Make a list of the players

Who are the Rock Stars in your niche?  Who are your peers?  If you are paying attention at all, and I know you are, you’ll already know who these people are.

It is important to know who the Rock Stars are so that you can follow what they do and how they do it.  If they are getting results, there is no reason you shouldn’t be following them and creating a useful case study.  Include basic information about their pricing, how they promote, do they run specials.  If they have a mailing list, get on it, there’s no better way to watch their promotions than to be a potential customer.

The peers in your niche will provide some basic insight into what is working as well as how you compare in growth.  If they appear to be growing faster can you figure out why?  What types of basic information can you get by scanning through their web site or advertisements?

The internet makes this kind of research easy to do because most businesses now have a website.  You can also use Google to search them and see what they are up to.

2.         Demographics

You can learn a lot about the market your competitors are trying to target by skimming their web site as well as their advertising copy and promotional materials.  As mentioned before, if you can get on a mailing list to receive promotional pieces or newsletters or get a hold of brochures and catalogs, these materials hold a wealth of information.

These materials can be quickly scanned to provide simple demographic information about the customer the competition is trying to target.  Pictures, graphics, language and tone can all give you a glimpse at their perfect customer.

Demographic information such as age, gender, location, education and income, among others should be easy to spot if they are doing a good job at targeting.  The Rock Star competitors will likely be easier to read as they have had time to refine their marketing message and perfect customer.

But don’t ignore the peer group competition.  If they are doing a good job, you will find the same clues.  If they aren’t doing a good job at targeting, you’ll be able to understand and see why targeting is so important.

3.         The Winning Difference

The most important thing you can do is differentiate yourself from the competition.  But how?  Likely you have practices that are different but how can you effectively shine light on those differences?  The competition.

What are they doing to be different from the competition themselves?  Likely you’ve got a few competitors in mind because they sell like services or products, they serve a similar niche and they are similar in size to your business.

Take those competitors, list them and write down every way in which they are different from one another.

Do you notice any gaps?  Is there anything that you offer that is not being offered by those competitors?  Perhaps it is a delivery method or sales approach.  Maybe they sell purple widgets and you sell green ones.

Make a list of ways in which they are the same.  What do you notice?

Finally, remember that differences can be in the form of just about anything.  Do they have a theme or a gimmick?  Do they emulate a certain kind of personality?  These things can be just enough to set them apart.

4.         The USP

Now that you know what they sell and how they are selling it, how it is in fact different, you can begin to dissect their USP (Unique Selling Proposition).  A unique selling proposition can tell you a lot about who the competition is trying to target.  If done well, a good USP will share an important benefit, a big promise or even a potential customer’s fears or annoyances.  Many times a USP will provide a guarantee.

Look closely to see what the competition is saying.  Knowing how they approach their customers can give you a big advantage when determining how you can do a better job at targeting that same or similar customer base.

A USP isn’t always obvious.  Some businesses use one as a tagline or slogan others use the USP concept as a mission statement.  Somewhere in the promotional materials their USP should shine through.  Look for it, it will tell you a lot.

5.         Beware the sloppy competitor

Once in a while you’ll come across a competitor who is sloppy.  You’ll skim the site, check out promotional materials, Google them and still not be able to really get a good feel for who they are selling to and how.

Pay attention.  Why?  Because you do not want that to be your business.

You cannot possibly target everyone.  You can’t even begin to target every female or every male.  You must narrow and niche.  A potential prospect base of 200 well-targeted people is a lot more profitable than 10,000 people who “almost” fit your target description.

In the end, narrowing your target focus can have big implications for effectively selling products and services.  When a potential customer feels like your marketing is made specifically for them, they are much more likely to open their wallets.  More importantly, it is a whole lot cheaper to focus on the 200 most likely to buy folks.

So, take some time to learn about your competitors on a much deeper level, it can help you create better marketing materials and enhance the effectiveness of those materials.

Don’t forget to get your copy of Twitter for Profit the Free Ebook!

©2012 Marketing Unhinged. All Rights Reserved.

I once wrote an e-book.  Years ago.  And the premise of the material was that success at any level in anything you do takes Action.

Simple, directed Action.

Now I use the word “directed” because you can actually do something every day but if it’s not focused and consistent it may not be effective.  Flitting from one thing to another will not produce results.

Consistent Focused Action = Big Results

Off-line and On-line marketing are similar in that you’ve got to stick with your pitch or campaign in order for it to get results, that’s the consistent part.  Last month I talked about the number of touches required to turn a prospect into a customer and that’s what I mean about consistency; you’ve got to keep doing it.

But it’s not enough to just repeat yourself.  Sending the same marketing piece over and over to the same prospect or customer can sometimes create numbness in the prospect.  You’ve been there yourself, you’ve seen the same ad over and over and over and over for your local pizza shop and you don’t notice it any longer.  So change it up a little, key word “little”.

It is impossible to know what works and what doesn’t if you change up your strategy every time you make a marketing move.  It’s enough to send the same email or flyer with the added text:  “In case you missed it.”  And then send a third time with:  “You might have missed this, but we’ve had a good response so we are sending it out again.”

A successful business is one that gets the customer and keeps the customer.

Seriously, there’s not much more to it, which means that marketing is your number one priority.

There was a guy…who sold a bridge… He didn’t have a bridge, just some old bridge pieces and a really good marketing campaign!  True story.

That’s not to say that I think you should sell crappy stuff or be deceitful because it’s not about the first sale to one prospect.  It is about the second, third and fourth sale to that same prospect.

If, after you’ve sent out your marketing campaign 9 times without response, then that prospect may not be a good match.  But if you quit at 4, 6 or 8, you’ve given in too soon.

The big secret you’ve been waiting for is simply this – Consistent Focused Action.  It takes a dedicated and persistent person to build a successful business because you’ve got to be prepared for the dry spell just before the dam breaks.  If you move from thing to thing or strategy to strategy, you’ll be livin’ in a world of dry spells.

Pick your ammo, stick with it — consistent focused action.

Hey Wait!!!  Are you on the list?  You know the 10 Minute Marketing Motivator list? What! Well, scroll up and get on the list…go on now…

[Photo Courtesy of David Hoshor]

©2012 Marketing Unhinged. All Rights Reserved.

When Coca-Cola became the sponsor for American Idol the set became a branding platform for Coke.  The judges kept cups of Coke in front of them.  Simon occasionally spouts out, “How much I love Coca-Cola!.”  During auditions contestants enter and exit a holding room where the walls are painted Coca-Cola red.  The chairs and couches have the familiar rounded contour shape of a Coca-Cola bottle.  For this Coca-Cola pays an estimated $26 million annually to do all this branding, including commercial spots.

But does it work?

For Coke it did.  The details of the research can be found in Martin Lindstrom’s book “Buyology”.  But basically, the integrated branding into the program itself had a much higher recall than just those products that ran commercials.  The results revealed that branding integrated into the storyline or show rated higher in the test subjects minds.  Coke was simply more memorable as a result of its branding efforts.

Why is this relevant?

In order to increase brand awareness we must carefully align our brand with all aspects of our business.  It can’t be just about the colors on your web site showing up on every page.

You must align your business mission or personality with all aspects of your web presence.  All of the elements must align in order for your customer to begin to recognize you as a brand.  Design elements are important and should be consistent from page to page.  The design elements should be carried into all your marketing efforts.

Language comes next.  Your web site copy should be consistent.  If you are a light and fun type of brand, then your word and tone choices should align with that personality.  Carry those language choices into all your marketing materials as well.

Develop a personality that can be displayed visually as well as through your copy.

The best brands tie into your customer’s emotions and create a bond and recognition.  Think Apple.  They have raving fans.  Who doesn’t recognize the Apple logo?  Who doesn’t recognize the innovative mission?

Remember though that branding is not just about the logo, design and copy.  Ultimately it is the alignment of those elements with your true mission and service to your customer.  It is about connection.

Good branding starts with authenticity and connection.  From there it must then be recognizable.

Here are some tips to get you started:

• Start with your audience in mind.  Not all strategies will work for all business types.  If you’re selling expensive wine, you may not want to go with the bright cartoon look and feel.  Think Nordstrom’s not Target.

• Keep your benefits up front.  Make sure that your brand strategies align with your key benefits.  Think about what you are offering the customer and how you can best portray that with your copy, images and design.

• Be consistent.  It’s great to have lots of ideas but if every area of your web site boasts a different theme how will your customers remember the important one.  When given more than two choices people tend to not choose.  If you have too much going on your customers won’t be able to remember any of it.

• Be different.  At a minimum differentiate yourself from your competition.  There are far too many “me too” sites out there.  Mimicking your favorite blogger or web site because it is successful will not help to build a memorable brand.  You need to be unique.

Have a little fun and don’t make the process too complicated.  Start with simple design features.  Choose just a few things to focus on.  As you develop your site there’s plenty of time to tweek, adjust and strengthen your brand.

Remember that too much is really too much for the visitor.  Using a minimum amount of branding concepts that are consistent and aligned with your audience will be far more effective and much more memorable.

Hey Wait!!!  Are you on the list?  You know the 10 Minute Marketing Motivator list? What! Well, scroll up and get on the list…go on now…

©2012 Marketing Unhinged. All Rights Reserved.