Why The World Isn’t Listening
Ed Roach Written by Ed Roach
on October 22nd, 2008 / 19 Comments / Print this
How many of your clients believe they are an apple ripe for the picking? They believe in the old adage, “build it and they will come” - literally.
Based on a comment to the post written by Krishne De entitled, Getting Your Website Found Online, I was inspired to write this post. The point of the comments were that there are a great many businesses who believe that having that website or blog is all you should have to do to get an audience.
The actual post told of businesses who want that magic bullet to success. You know - the - what is the tricks and techniques to instant results? What is it, that would lead any of us to believe that this solution exists? In the many years I’ve been in business, nothing comes easily. It takes work and perseverance.
How in the world is anyone supposed to find you if you do nothing to tell anyone that you are there? Googling is not enough, don’t bet the farm on SEO (but don’t ignore it either). You have to get out there. Do your research. You can’t generate an income without some sales effort. There are some great books on promoting yourself on and offline. Read them and FOLLOW THEM. Having your base marketing in place is a great start, but you have to realize that you must consistently and repeatedly push your brand out into the world. Take every opportunity to develop your brand so that it returns a respectable income for you and your company.
I recognize that pop culture has it’s cheer leaders who profess that a six figure income is around the next corner or in your next thought or whim. While some have hit that benchmark, few are admitting how long it took to get there. Their real success is not in the doing but in the teaching. Enough about that.
The point is that you must get your message out there, and it takes sweat to do it. Try different things to get the word out, here are a few:
LOCALLY:
• Join professional clubs
• B2B advertising (print media)
• Speaking engagements
• Networking organizations
• Personal service
• Effective signage (if you have bricks and mortar)
• Marketing materials to distribute through direct mail
• Cold calling
• Trade shows and events
• Multi-media promotion
• Billboards and bus sheltersONLINE:
• Website with lots of searchable content
• SEO
• Blogging
• Social media
• Banner advertising
• Article selling
• PCP ads
• html marketing
• eMail harvesting
• Digital products for free or sale
• Newsletters
These are just a few initiatives to get your name out there. I do a number of them, and I am always looking to increase my brand awareness. My favorite is writing articles like this one for a few business related blogs. None of my efforts are easy or taken lightly. Everything you can do involves varying degrees of money, effort, and time. Another aid in succeeding is education - yours. Participate in webinars. Online courses are a wealth of information. What I enjoy about them is that the entire program is usually available as podcasts that I burn to CD and listen to in the car. Itunes has plenty of great podcasts that you can download for free.
Success isn’t really eluding you, you’re just not putting yourself in the position of benefiting because you’re watching from the sidelines. Put yourself in the game, there’s no money on the bench.
19 Comments to “Why The World Isn’t Listening”
October 22nd, 2008
3:36 pm
Thanks for this REALISTIC post Ed. You know, I can say, “I owned 5 retail stores.” But what people wouldn’t realize is that when I was 20 and pregnant with my second child I was at the flea market EVERY single weekend for 2 years, plus I did trade shows and local shows for my business. It takes alot of work and dedication to build a business and customer base. Great post!
October 22nd, 2008
5:20 pm
Vera, yours is the genuine story of building businesses. We would all love it if it were a little easier, but you have to stay on top of things or everything that you’ve built can be eaten away by someone hungrier. To many of us the challenge is invigorating, and the reward is in the winning of a few. When we lose we learn.
And on we go.
October 23rd, 2008
12:07 pm
G’day Ed, thanks for the post - such a refreshing read and certainly an article that I will refer to in my next blog/ email newsletter to friends and clients.
It’s amazing with all the type about press a button type advertising and marketing how many businesses haven’t looked in the mirror and asked themselves what is their point of difference ? What is in it for the customer? How does your product or service benefit them? What is your relationship with your customer (and that takes effort) and the market.
if customer attention is scare - then basic supply and demand economics prevails. As more and more people embrace these techniques then like most television advertising the technique becomes less effective - customers filter and don’t pay attention.
To get attention - you need to entertain - the need for your marketing message to cut through - the message has to be relevant to the customers needs and wants.
People buy from people - it is the relationship they have with you and your brand, the face to face, belly to belly that is arguably the most important.
Regards
Scott
October 23rd, 2008
4:13 pm
Thanks for referencing the article Scott. I think many businesses honestly don’t think anything is different about their businesses other than personnel. They fail to realize that they can also develop a difference and give it a proprietary name, then use that as their difference. There is always a solution.
October 25th, 2008
6:57 am
The best way to hear what your clients want is to have a personal relationships with all of them! So you can just ask “What can I do for you?” And that’s all
October 26th, 2008
6:30 am
That’s perfect for existing, Audrey, but what about new leads?
October 26th, 2008
1:44 pm
Great post Ed,
I guess one of the most important things in getting business going and keeping it going is to continually get the message out that you’re around and still ready to add value to customers.
Growing a business means finding new customers and making sure you don’t lose any of the old ones.
I have found the following viewpoint a stance for encouraging me to keep out there.
“People today have NO spare time and NO spare money. To buy my product or service, they will have to drop something off so my proposition has to be better than something they’re already buying or doing.”
October 26th, 2008
2:01 pm
That’s quite a dose of reality Andee. That statement would certainly keep you on your toes.
- your first point is something I subscribe to. To put it with a “little” homor - Elvis has not left the building.
October 27th, 2008
1:35 pm
WOooh !!
This is amazing , you have brought into light the hidden truth.Well i don’t know about others but I didn’t know any bit of it.
Nice Sharing:)
October 27th, 2008
6:51 pm
Glad to help Jaqad. Nice website by the way.
October 31st, 2008
4:53 pm
hi Ed,
Great post. Although some people might not want to hear it, it’s hard to succeed if you aren’t willing to work hard. I like all of your suggestions for both on-line and off-line promotion - especially the one about going to a trade show!
I will disclose a business “secret” that can cut down on the hard work though…
Once you get a customer, keep them! Provide the best product or service, the best customer service, and follow-up. Not only is it much easier to keep an existing customer (as opposed to finding new ones), it you treat them right, they’ll become your best promoters! And it’s free.
Well, that’s all my “secrets” for today.
~ Steve from Pinnacle Trade Show Displays
October 31st, 2008
5:20 pm
Great tip Steve. How many businesses don’t try anything to identify their customers. I’m thinking of the retail industry. How much easier would a second sale be if they built a relationship and nurtured it.
It’s stupid simple. I work at it constantly.
November 16th, 2008
3:44 am
Great info, Ed. I work on both sides of marketing. Sometimes I’m the marketing agent, other times, I’m the one who needs the advice. I find it’’s always more difficult to remember the finer details (and the basics) when marketing my own ventures. Your post rich with practical advice I can actually use.
Thanks again!
~ Judy “the foodie”
November 16th, 2008
10:38 am
Thanks for joining in Judy. Like you, we all need advice from time to time. Marketing ourselves is one heck of a challenge as I believe I am my toughest customer. I could just kick me sometimes
November 16th, 2008
8:33 pm
No way, you can kick yourself sometime? That just goes to show we are our own worst critics!
November 28th, 2008
11:57 am
[...] The World Isn’t Listening - Small Business Branding October 28th, 2008 | by cwalton | Why The World Isn’t Listening - Small Business Branding Written by Ed [...]
December 20th, 2008
6:19 pm
Thanks for these great post. I don’t need to buy books just to have an enjoy reading because there is this post which I loved to read. Thanks sharing it with us.
December 20th, 2008
6:21 pm
Oh! This one is really good. I have fun and I also learn from your advice. I really need this.Thank you
December 22nd, 2008
5:50 pm
Thanks Anne, Juliet- I’m glad you found something interesting to take away with you.
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