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Let’s Dive Right In
The #1 take away here and to remember throughout your entrepreneurial career is this little secret: constantly introduce your brand to potential customers or be more helpful to existing customers. At first glance this statement sounds like a no-brainer…duh, but often business owners get caught up and side-tracked in doing the busy work of running a business instead of focusing on what’s essential…in this case it is selling and delivering goods and services to the marketplace. Doing what is essential keeps you in demand and in business. Which again means finding new prospects to sell or selling more units to existing customers. The way to do this is through your marketing efforts…. marketing that educates your prospect while simultaneously demonstrating your value leads to sales.
The primary purpose of marketing is to create awareness, interest and demand for your products, services, expertise and/or company; and to persuade, convince and motivate your audience to buy.
A = Awareness: the marketplace knows who you are, what you offer, and why they need you
I = Interest: marketplace prospects show signs that they are attracted to what you offer
D = Demand: make marketplace prospects an offer they cannot refuse…give them a reason to say YES
The essential tool used to communicate your message will be determined by your marketing objective. For example, if your objective is to create awareness and attention to your brand, then for starters using a News Release and fully optimized Website will probably work well.
If your objective is to create interest, then a compelling Article or Case Study may be ideal to use to draw your prospects in closer. How do you know a prospect is considering purchasing products or services from your business? They show INTEREST. How do you show interest in something? The #1 way to indicate interest in anything is by asking questions. If your prospect IS NOT asking questions about you, your products or services, and/or your company then they are probably not urgently interested in what you have. However, when the prospect starts asking questions, they are simply trying to get more information about your services so they can decide whether to purchase or not. In the digital age a clear sign of interest by your audience is when they give their name and email address to get more information about your services.
And if your objective is to create demand (actual sales – give them a reason to say yes), then an Online Sales Letter or a Sales Page with a phenomenal offer may be just what’s needed. The following diagram illustrates the tools we use to accomplish each objective.
Objective: Create Awareness
– News Release
– Blog Posts
– Articles
– Emails
– Micro Website
Objective: Create Interest
– News Release
– Blog Posts
– Articles
– Emails
– Micro Website
– Case Study
– Lead Landing Page
Objective: Create Demand
– Emails
– Sales Landing Page
– Online Sales Letter
– Business Proposal
– Case Study
– Micro Website
– Case Statement (nonprofit)
Whatever your objective, my role is to assist you to achieve it by shaping a message that generates an enthusiastic response from your audience. We get them interested in what you offer and ready to purchase by using one or more of the above Essential Marketing and Sales Tools for the Digital Age. Here’s a synopsis of each essential marketing and sales tool we suggest using. There are plenty of other marketing tools to use however, we just focus on the ones that are essential.
ESSENTIAL MARKETING & SALES TOOLS
Digital assets used to generate exposure, sales, revenue & value
BUSINESS PROPOSAL
The business proposal is a document designed to persuade an individual or organization to buy your product or service; to invest money in your business; to partner with you on a project; to outsource business to you; to donate money, time or expertise to your cause (nonprofit); to lend money or credit for your use; to put forth an idea and ask for action to be taken on that idea; and/or to persuade an organization that you are the perfect fit for their needs. Most B2B transactions will start with a proposal of what your business can do or intends to do to solve a problem or handle a situation. The Business Proposal is essential because it has the power to move you from being one of the candidates vying for an opportunity, to the number 1 pick.
NEWS RELEASE
The News Release is a powerful document written specifically to create awareness and draw attention. It is distributed to the media to announce a new product or service, an award, an event, an online seminar, and/or to announce the implementation of a new business strategy. News Releases are often used to increase traffic to a website, or to highlight some newsworthy achievement or future event. When favorable news and current events are regularly published on your website it creates organic SEO boost. The News Release is essential because it makes a clear and concise introduction of you, what you bring to the marketplace, and why its important to your target audience.
Marketing Emails are short, conversational emails that engage a reader and shares more information about a product, service, or company. Marketing emails can promote a one-time sales promotion, a special event, product update or a newsworthy announcement. Companies send marketing emails every day to generate leads, to follow up on leads, to build relationships, to sell products, services and programs. Marketing Emails are essential because they work, they are cost effective, and because email marketing delivers the highest return on investment (ROI).
LEAD LANDING PAGE
The Lead Landing Page is a focused web page specifically designed to bring in a high volume of prospects through a compelling offer, who are perfect candidates to buy your products and services. The Lead Landing Page features the “Offer” which typically is a free report, a free e-book, a free subscription, etc. The primary goal is to get potential prospects to provide their email address to get the free offer. Once you have the email address, you can start building a relationship with the prospect by sharing helpful information to address their problem or needs. The Lead Landing Page is essential because it produces potential prospects that show an interest in what you offer.
The Micro Website is a collection of linked web pages of related material that contains text, images and may include video and audio media. The Micro Website consist of less than 6 pages, and is built around a specific marketing campaign, promotion, event, or company. The Micro Website can be used to support a specific promotion and generate leads for a new product, get customers to sign up for a newsletter, register for a seminar or conference, make a purchase, as well as educate your customers and prospects, or entertain your audience. The Micro Website is versatile and can be created and used to achieve many different objectives. The Micro Website is essential because a digital web presence is the single most important and effective marketing tool you can use to promote your business in the marketplace.
BLOG POST
A Blog is an online journal or informational website displaying an author’s interest, expertise and/or opinions on a subject. The entries to the journal or website are called Blog Posts and are often informal diary-style entries. Just like Articles, a Blog is an essential building block for online marketing content. The Blog ideally provides useful information focused on the reader’s problems, questions, and needs. The Blog Post is a perfect way to engage with customers and respond to comments and concerns. The Blog can help in establishing a positive relationship with customers and prospects. Using Blog Posts is a great way to promote new products, services, events and ultimately to generate both, leads and sales.
ONLINE SALES LETTER
The Online Sales Letter is a powerful marketing tool with tremendous value. Effective Online Sales Letters follow a logical sequence that leads the prospect to a point where a decision to purchase is probable. They pique the prospect’s interest, answer prospect questions, turn inquiries into orders, and most of all, they sell. The Online Sales Letter may be the most effective medium available to marketers for three reasons: First, the OSL is a personal one-to-one message where the marketer communicates directly with the prospect in a personal manner. The recipient knows the letter is for his or her sole consideration. Second, when the prospect receives an OSL it holds his or her complete attention for a few seconds. This provides the marketer with an exceptional opportunity to present and construct a strong, cohesive, and in-depth sales argument without any distractions. Third, and most important, Online Sales Letters can speak directly to the prime prospects to which the product or service can be sold. Online Sales Letters are sent to prospect or customer email lists with the best chance of buying.
ARTICLES
Interesting Articles provide marketing content related to an industry, methodology, company, or an event that is both educational and informative about a product or service. Articles are not directly promotional, but rather a basic step used towards building the relationship with a customer, leading to future sales. Incorporating great content is a reliable way to attract top search engine rankings and traffic. Industry specific articles provide valuable information to prospects, build customer relationships, and establish your credibility as a trusted resource for the potential prospect.
SALES LANDING PAGE
The Sales Page is a tightly focused web page designed to sell a specific product or service to a particular audience. The Sales Page is one page, and has one clear call to action, with no other distractions, options or menu choices. The Sales Page is written in a way that compels the prospect to make a purchase on the page. The focal point of the Sales Page are the benefits gained from the product or service. The traffic source for a Sales Page can be organic search engine traffic from a frequently searched keyword, a highly ranked article, paid advertising, and/or an email database from a strategic marketing campaign. The main goal is to get the prospect to take the desired action which may be to make a purchase or subscribe to a service. The Sales Page is essential because its primary goal is conversion from prospect or lead to customer.
CASE STUDY
The Case Study simply, is a “before and after” success story describing a person or entity’s problem or challenge, and then demonstrates how your company’s product or service solved the problem. The Case Study narrative can be as short as a couple of paragraphs, or a few pages in length. The length depends on how long it takes to effectively describe the problem and present the results of your perfect solution. The Case Study is essential because it provides proof and validation of the effectiveness of your product or service to your audience. Case Studies can be used in a variety of ways, online and offline, in print and video, and in marketing materials and newsletters.
CASE STATEMENT
The Case Statement is used by nonprofit entities to succinctly communicate the current status of the organization, and to outline a simple, clear and compelling case for monetary as well as in-kind support. Your Case Statement should answer the question ‘why do you need the support you asked me for?’ A Case Statement is a concise and clear summary of your organization’s work and why people should give to help you in your mission. It explains your mission, your vision, your history, your goals, budget, and states why someone might give. It also describes how people can help and why you need their help. The Case Statement can fill in gaps by answering some of the most frequently asked questions you may receive from prospective supporters. It is essential because you use your Case Statement as the guiding document for all fundraising for your nonprofit organization.
These are by no means ALL the digital tools you can use to promote your business and attract potential customers. However, they are essential tools to use. You may or may not know which of these tools is best for your situation, that’s okay…. that’s why I am here, to help you decide which ones may work best. To get started, please complete the Project Brief to help me understand what you offer and what your objectives are.
