"A BIG SCARY WORD"

For many people I've spoken with, marketing is either swept under the rug or misunderstood.  It becomes a big scary word, but it doesn't need to be.

Look, I've been there!

I admit I used to have no idea how to market a business. So I get it!

My goal today is to keep things simple here; let's jump right in.

Marketing is informing the public that you exist and gaining enough trust for them to do business with you.

We want people to know, like, and trust you.

Before moving on, I think it's important to point out what marketing is not and an example of a poor strategy.

Marketing is not your logo or business name. It's not your colors or your slogan.

The above are branding; while you need them, they're not enough to grow a successful business.

An example of a poor marketing strategy would be walking through a public area blindly handing out business cards.

Might that work? Maybe, but odds are it won't because those days are gone. Also, you'd be wasting a lot of time that you'd be better off spending elsewhere. 

In today's world, people are constantly being bombarded with ads and information. Handing a random person a card is just another example of that.

Here's the trick. 

You have to stand out, and you have to target.

To stand out, you have to be different. You have to catch people's attention. What do you offer that's different from local businesses in your niche? What separates you from the local competition?

I'll link some articles below that go into more detail.

To target, you have to create a client avatar or persona. It doesn't matter what you call it; what matters is that you do it.

You have to identify your ideal clients when creating marketing material, social media content, etc., so you can speak directly to that person.

Back in the day, just showing up on social media might have worked because the platforms weren't saturated. Today, everyone is on social media, and your message becomes clouded. 

By thinking about what you want to do with your business, who you'd love to serve, and where they are, you could see some pretty impressive results!

Check out the articles below for more, and as always, reach out if you want to chat. 

-Todd

If you want more, these articles are on this website:

"Don't be for Everyone"

"Attracting the Right Clients"

If you want even more info, I've written articles for another site that you can find here: 

"Marketing for Free"

"Building Trust with the Public"

"7 New Ideas to Try in Your Marketing"

"Creating Brand Awareness"

"Leveraging Social Media"

"Content Marketing: How to get Started"