Do you dare to be different with your marketing message?
by Tom Trush
Successful marketing requires attracting attention to your business.
Wouldn't you agree?
Fortunately, you have an advantage because you're different than your competitors -- you have unique characteristics. In some cases, these traits may naturally help you or your business stand out ... and that's a good thing.
After all, there's a strong chance you market to the same prospects as your competitors.
What's bad is marketing without making an effort to be different. When you copy your competitors' strategies, you instantly level the playing field. As such, you may as well stop marketing altogether because it becomes impossible to secure space in your prospects' minds -- you offer nothing on which they can base a buying a decision.
A positive differentiation, however, causes your prospects to perceive your product or service as being better.
Duplicating marketing strategies is common in all industries. For proof, open your newspaper and look at the ads for car dealers ... flip through your phone book and check out the dentist listings ... look through the letters in your mailbox from cable television or dish providers and review their offers... enter a keyword from your industry in a search engine and review some websites ...
Not only will many marketing pieces share a common look, but I guarantee you'll see similarities in the content. For example, how many times have you seen companies promote excellent customer service or tout having the best product?
Boring!
To be different, you must try new approaches and take measured risks.
So how can you do things differently with your marketing message? Here are two quick suggestions:
1. Encourage interaction. One of my favorite ways to get prospects involved is through self-tests. For an example of this technique, review the following points:
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Do you find yourself constantly preoccupied with getting new leads for your business?
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Have you often tried marketing strategies (e.g., postcard campaigns, pay-per-click advertising, search engine optimization, social media, etc.) that seem to work for everyone else, but only create mental and financial frustration for you?
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Do you attend networking events in the hopes of landing at least one new client … but only walk away with a bundle of new business cards?
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Are you sick of waiting for your developer/designer every time you need a simple change or want to add new content to your website?
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Do you find yourself frustrated because you know you should be marketing more, but you don’t know where to focus your efforts – or even how to start writing a marketing piece?
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Are you at the point where you don’t think any effort you put into online marketing will work (and so far … nothing has), and now you’re considering doing something a little more “proven”?
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Do you feel if you did a better job at making your website more visible to prospects, you’d be more successful in other areas of your business – such as closing sales and growing revenue?
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Do you find yourself coming up with excuses or other tasks each time you want to put a “sales” message in front of your prospects or past customers?
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Have you ever tried affiliate marketing in the hopes of generating extra income and given up because you didn’t see immediate results?
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Do you ever wonder how you can attract the most qualified prospects without wasting your time and effort on driving to meetings or working the phones?
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Are you sick and tired of trying to figure out creative ways to draw interest to your business so people take action on your offers?
2. Take ideas from other industries. Frankly, any marketing techniques you repeatedly see in your industry are likely tired and worn out. But you'll find new offers and ways to position your product or service when you study marketing materials from other industries.
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© Trey Ryder
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