When the internet first started, it really was
1. Build it and they will come.
The technology was hard and only a few understood it. So, if you had a clever enough team to build a website, that was all people needed as proof to buy from you.
2. Then came knowledge
Once more people started to appear, we found the sites that won the business were the ones that started demonstrating knowledge with information, explanations and demonstrations. These were text and pictures because there was no video.
3. We started outbound marketing
The next big change was gathering email addresses and sending out newsletters. They really did start as news. We have a new product in stock, the price of our widget has changed…
4. Social Media
Social media is really just an extension of your website – By people that are better at marketing than you. If you have good communication with your customers, that you know what to say and when to say it. You have no need for social media.
The truth is that we are way behind the clever people behind Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Linkedin and the rest. They have much better communication with our customers and prospects then we do. That is why we jump on their systems to take advantage.
6. Segmentation
Marketing is much more sophisticated, and conversely also easier than before. An advert on TV would hit everyone watching and they would be at all levels of interest, from leaving to make a cup of tea, to just about to go out and buy one.
Now with segmentation, we can look at the actions of visitors to our content. We can give them calls to action and from that determine at one level of interest they are at. Using this information we can then deliver content relevant to their stage in the buying process.
Gone is the one email list. You now need to segment the list into levels at which people are interested. You can then deliver the right message at the right time.
5. All made too complicated
Don’t be fooled by flash marketing so-called Guru’s. This is not rocket science. If that same customer was in front of you, you would be able to ask questions. You would then know where they were in the buying process and guide them to a purchase decision.
What too many people do is get blinded by the technology, (which is the fault of the technology, not the people) and then quickly give up using it.
I have recently signed up with three leading marketing platforms and was amazed by the training I was given. I really do not think many of the trainers even know what they are talking about. They understand how their product works but they have an inability to relate this to the real world. They are just process driven. They talk about lead pages and tripware offers, but then can not explain how that applies to my business. They expect me to work that bit out!
6. That’s why we buy templates
Everywhere I see people selling done for you templates, systems and blueprints. Now the there are two reasons why you buy done for you templates.
- You don’t have the time or patience to understand how things work, you just want a system with a track record of doing ok.
- We have no idea where to start and so we want a proven system.
7. Now you have to work
The problem with any done for you systems is they were created for somebody else. The closer to what you would need, the more effective they will be. For true effectiveness, somebody has to look at your data, look at your customers and improve the system for your specific needs.
Where are most businesses?
- Honestly, most businesses are still between 1 – 2.
- Some have moved on to 3 but fail to email regulaly.
- Some play with 4 but have no idea what they are doing and therefore get little results
- Too many buy products from 6 and never make proper use of them
Enter the Age of Mentors and coaches.
This is why all the people in the know are either starting up Marketing Agencies or becoming mentors and coaches. The successful ones can take the templates and blueprints and then tweak them for whatever customer they are dealing with.
