Marketing is Hard Work! Five Ways to Make it Easier

Fountain2

The unofficial theme in this week’s diva mastermind groups was marketing. It didn’t seem to matter what the business was, whether it was new or old, sold products or services, everyone was feeling the pain of what it takes to develop an effective marketing campaign. Marketing is a resource intensive activity that most of us aren’t prepared for. The unseen issue is often the trajectory that needs to be in place for you to bring your prospects from interest to purchase. Let’s say you’ve figured out how to get them into your bottom bowl (the starting place) of your sales fountain*. They have engaged and are spending a small amount of money and time to check you out, have a great experience, and engage with whatever it is you are selling them.

What do you do with them next? Now that you’ve got them engaged, what action do you want them to take, where do you want them to go? You have to orchestrate these next steps and paint the picture that guides them towards more engagement, which often requires them to spend more money and more time in your domain. Ideally this process continues to build overtime, continuing to necessitate effective marketing tactics.

Since launching the Good Things Challenge, it is fresh in my mind how much work it is and how many resources are needed to take an idea and market it into something tangible. In this case, it isn’t about making money. The focus is building relationships by offering a concept that will enrich the lives of the participants. Overtime, engagement in this process will result in doing business and this in an example of how I like to introduce potential clients to my personality and my work.

Sound easy? Not so much. It took a team of many (marketing consultant, project manager, editor, virtual assistant, on the ground assistant, graphic designer and me) a lot of time, energy and money to pull all the pieces together to get the Good Things Challenge launched by the first of the year.

Here’s what I learned in the process that I know will help you:

1. Allot the appropriate amount of time to get your marketing up and running. Then consider doubling the time you think it will take! 2. Have a budget. Know how much you intend to spend before you get started and determine if it is realistic before you’re in too deep. 3. Make a schedule that everyone uses and commits to. This helps with time management, reducing confusion and keeping the team on track. 4. Depend on your team. Create one if you don’t already have help even if it is just for one marketing campaign. 5. Someone needs to be in charge and manage all the moving parts. Need I say more?

Let us know what you do to successfully market your product or service!

*Thank you Caterina Rando for providing the “sales fountain” alternative to the traditional “marketing funnel”.