is written to help authors, businesses, and non-profits
spread their message like wildfire.
This week's focus:
One of the keys to successful marketing is staying consistent with your promotional activities. However, consistency can lead to tedium, which can lead to monotony. Pretty soon, you find yourself going through the motions with your marketing. This can apply to anyone, including authors, businesses, and non-profits.
When marketing feels like a tedious, dumb, or a worthless use of your time and money, then you will soon burn-out and barely market at all. So, if you want to keep your marketing energized for the long-term, it helps to view the process as something you find worthwhile, challenging, or meaningful. This is easier to do when you identify marketing as sharing your value with others, rather than trying to get people to buy your stuff. People can tell when someone is going through the motions with their marketing. It feels bland, tired, or too self-focused.
As a professional marketer, I'm not immune to complacency. For instance, some weeks I don't feel like writing a Monday Morning Marketing Tip. But, I keep going due to the enjoyment of challenging myself to create something beneficial for my readers. I may procrastinate for a while, but eventually I find the inspiration to write something I'm interested to share with you. Doing this over 52 weeks a year can seem tiresome. But, the satisfaction of taking on a personal challenge and receiving positive feedback from readers makes the effort worthwhile.
If your marketing is getting monotonous, refocus your activities on tasks that fit your natural skills or pose an interesting challenge. Don't force yourself to do things you hate. Instead, pick 2 - 3 promotional activities that fit your personality, talents, or organizational strengths. (No one is exempt from all marketing options.) For instance, don't blog unless you really like to blog. Change your focus on creating lots of free resources. If you naturally like talking to people, create promotional videos, attend networking events, and seek referrals like crazy. If you're terrified of public speaking, then write and send out a top-notch newsletter instead. But do something, and do it with enthusiasm.
Monotonous marketing leads to motionless customers. So, kick your marketing out of the doldrums by giving yourself the freedom to do what you enjoy. In the process, you may find that people enjoy buying from you a lot more.
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© Rob Eagar 2012.
All rights reserved.
4 comments:
Good tips. I really like that you emphasize doing what you enjoy and are comfortable with. So many publishers push authors to do things because they work for others, but the author don't enjoy it and thus resent the time they have to put into it.
I am just starting the process of marketing and have felt totally overwhelmed and nervous about ding things that are really not comfortable for me. I definitely needed this advice today. Thank you.
Thanks for the comments, Maryann and Maria. I hope my blog post gives you a new sense of freedom and enthusiasm to market your message. Here's to a productive 2012!
I too am just beginning in the world of marketing. Thankful there are pro's like you willing to share. I'll tune in for more!!
Thanks!
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