Einstein’s marketing tip. And more

Before I start, it’s been a huge week here in the Connolly household. My son Lewis got a place at his first choice university. That has nothing to do with marketing. I’m just sharing a proud dad moment with you.

Okay. Now let’s grow your business with some marketing ideas!

Overcome a common marketing problem

I’m hearing from a lot of small business owners lately, who have the same challenge.

Here’s what they’re telling me.

They offer a great service. They’re working at least as hard as they always have. But their results are either plunging, dipping or not growing in any meaningful way. And the ads or marketing that used to work, are no longer as effective.

If you’re in a similar position, there are a few things I recommend you take a look at.

Demand

Has your marketplace shrunk? A growing number of services that people used to pay for, are now available for free via AI. Initially it was content writers whose services saw a huge drop in demand.

Now it’s far wider. Including; SEO providers, photographers, recipe planners, course/training creators, those selling online information products, web developers, commercial artists, designers, data analysts, technical writers, paralegals and tutors.

Note – This applies exclusively to those who serve the middle or lower end of the market. If you’re one of them, focus on what you can do, which AI can’t do. And make that a key element in your marketing.

Otherwise you’ll no longer be competing against lower-priced competitors, you’ll be competing against zero-priced competitors.

Templates

If your marketing is based around a checklist, template or online course/program, you’re really hard to hire or buy from. That’s because you’re invisible. You’re camouflaged amid the millions of others following the same type of cookie-cutter approach.

Instead, look for intelligent opportunities to zig when they zag.

It’s not about being different.

It’s about finding ways to capture attention, which your prospects will love. It’s about knowing how to earn the trust of your prospects, before they hire you or buy from you. It’s about becoming a must-buy proposition. It’s about being the obvious choice for your prospects to make. That’s the exact opposite of the template approach to marketing.

New needs and wants

I’ve mentioned this a few times this year, but it’s something that’s created a huge shift in the way you need to market your business. The speed of change over the past 3 years has been greater than at any time in living memory. And it’s charging ahead at an accelerated pace.

This means your marketing needs to adjust to the new needs and wants of your prospects.

So, talk with your prospects.

Dip into forums and social media.

See what they’re excited about.

See what they’re worried about.

See what they’re paying attention to.

This is critically important. You can’t market effectively unless you know who you’re marketing to and what they want.

Einstein’s marketing tip

I’m certain you’ve read the following quote. You may not have applied it to your marketing efforts, though. “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results”.

When your sales results are going in the wrong direction, or going nowhere, it’s time to stop doing the same type of marketing.

When I explain this to business owners, they almost always draw the wrong conclusion. They conclude that I’m asking them to try different types of marketing.

I’m not.

I’m asking them to adopt a successful, uniquely them, marketing strategy.

That’s why some people reading this will find it interesting, then go to YouTube in search of sales hacks and tricks (template information). But the entrepreneurs reading it will see this as an opportunity to close out the last 4 months of the year thriving, and enjoy an amazing 2024.