Does Your Marketing Need an Upgrade? Part 1 of 2

Too many times, those who finally find their rhythm in marketing make the mistake of sticking with something because it’s comfortable and familiar instead of upgrading to something that’s potentially more effective. You will miss out on benefits and business opportunities if you avoid making changes. Check out some of the tell-tale signs to let you know it’s time to tweak your marketing.

No return for the investment – Return on investment (ROI) is more than just a term for accountants and financial planners, it’s key for you as your company’s #1 marketer to know and understand. You should be able to measure whether your marketing is leading to sales. Notice I said ‘should’. If you’re unable to know if more sales are occurring 1 of 2 things must happen #1- you should re-examine the type of marketing you’re doing (in other words look again at your tactics or methods, your message, and the group (market) you’re talking to – more on this in another article) or #2 – you should review your sales conversion process, or how you get people to buy when they arrive at your door or on your website.

Your clients say it’s time for a change -There’s nothing like honest customers. Listen for their suggestions and be sure to ask them for their opinions on what works. A simple 5 question survey would do just fine, but easier than that, call a sample or just ask them in person on their next visit. Don’t forget to thank them for the feedback and let them know if you implement the suggestion. BTW, my favorite survey tools? www.surveymonkey.com and www.surveygizmo.com.

You learn something new about your market – New discoveries call for changes in your approach. If you’ve learned that you’re actually selling to affluent women who have traveled abroad and own their own businesses versus middle-class women who are stay at home moms, then your message AND most likely your marketing tactic should change. Many are stuck with who they think they’re selling to versus the facts, sooo…get the facts and change accordingly.

That’s the first 3 – your action step is to understand if you and/or your biz fits into either of them. Look for the next 3 in Part 2.