Is Your Business Message Working?
There are myriad ways to get your marketing message out there. You can try traditional advertising, direct mail, traditional PR, develop a dynamite website, email marketing, social media, blogging; Pay per Click, the list goes on.
If you're in business, chances are good you've tried some or all of these avenues. If not, you should start. If you have and they haven't worked, don't be too quick to shoot the messenger, because that's exactly what these different approaches are, messengers.
The important thing to realize is that all of the above are basically content delivery methods. They are vehicles that we can use to send out our message to prospective customers. But before you start your delivery, make sure you know exactly who you're delivering your message to and, even before that, make sure that you've developed a strong, timely, targeted, effective message. You may have developed the perfect marketing campaign for you and your business, but you'll never be successful if the messageyou're delivering is the wrong one.
This is a tricky one, you need to make sure your message is the right one and then look at how you're delivering it, when and to whom. Every business has a message unique to it and its customers. Two similar businesses could have two very different messages; one could focus on quality, another on cost. To develop a strong effective message, think the way your customers and clients think. What do they need? How does your product or service meet their needs? Craft a short succinct messagethat is about them, not about you. It's tempting to build your message around how wonderful you, your product or your service is, but avoid that trap. Focus on how your business solves your customer's problems, meets their needs, saves them time, makes them money, etc. Craft your message around your client's needs and your message will work.
That's step one, you've developed an effective message. Next define your target market. Who is you perfect customer? Your next step is to discover what media they watch read or listen to. What sites or social media do they use? Once you've definedyour message and target market, you have the information you need to decide on your most effective message delivery systems. You're now positioned to create an effective marketing machine that will work.
Copyright © Anthony Mora 2010
About the Author:
Anthony Mora began his media career as a freelance journalist for such publications as Us, Rolling Stone and other local and national publications. He served as editor-in-chief of two Los Angeles-based entertainment and lifestyle-oriented publications, and co-founded Phillips & Mora Entertainment, a public relations and personal management company, which ventured into video and film production. In 1990, Anthony formed Anthony Mora Communications, Inc. a Los Angeles-based media relations company that specializes in media placement, image development, and media training. AMC Inc. has placed clients in: Time, Newsweek, 60 Minutes, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and other local, national, and international media outlets. Anthony has been featured in: USA Today, Newsweek, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, The BBC, CNN, Entrepreneur, Fox News, MSNBC, and other media. He has written three books. The most recent, \\\"Spin to Win,\\\" is a step-by-step guide on how to define goals and utilize the power of the media to achieve success in any field. Practical and user-friendly, \\\"Spin to Win\\\" can be utilized by heads of major corporations, small business owners, and entrepreneurs.