Todd Schnick, Intrepid, LLC.

There are thousands of books about marketing. Hundreds and hundreds of world-class blogs about marketing. And dozens and dozens of brilliant marketing consultants to tell you what to do.

But marketing isn't rocket science. It is very common sense actually.

You have all the tools you need to tell your marketing story, to educate your prospects about how you can serve them, and to differentiate yourself from the competition.

Now, the only question to be asked is, "Why aren't you using them?"

As a business, we all do something well. Some of us do several things well, but we are at least known in the market place for doing one thing really well.

Why aren't you using your marketing to tell that story?

And if the goal of being in business is to turn a profit, why do we so often make decisions that make it harder to do just that?

Questions. Questions.

You want answers dear reader, and they have been right in front of you since you first went into business.

So let me help you by letting you in on a secret: telling people what you do best will grow your business. And by educating the marketplace that you are the best at what you do - you will get more customers AND be able to charge a premium for your service.

Now, you can certainly increase the effectiveness of your marketing program by talking to the right prospects. And not just any prospects - but QUALIFIED prospects. And you accomplish this by narrowing your focus to a specific niche. Don't make the mistake of expanding your reach - that will serve you poorly.

But you can't be afraid to inform the world what you do, and that you do it well. You have a lot of competition - and you have to differentiate yourself. So be bold. Don't be timid. And spread the word. Loudly, confidently.

People like to be with a winner. It is no different in business.

And use direct response marketing. You can send personalized messages DIRECTLY to your targeted prospects. And you can prompt them to move forward with an easy call-to-action.

And use your direct marketing to talk about past successes, using client testimonials to do your selling for you.

And to make this really work for you, you need to coordinate with all other marketing mediums as appropriate. Have corresponding messaging on your website, blog, radio/TV advertising, public relations, social media, etc. A consistent message on all these fronts will solidify the brand.

And that makes it easier to charge a premium for your services, which means more profits. If your brand is weak, you cannot very well charge a premium…

But you may be asking yourself that direct response marketing doesn't seem like a tactical option for someone trying to convey real value, that it is more of a tool to offer gimmicky promotions and specials.

Wrong. You must of course adjust the style, packaging, and print quality depending on the product and target audience. If you are selling Jaguars, you wouldn't send a 4x6 post card to your prospect.

What you must recognize and understand is this: A business that knows it is the best in the marketplace, that confidently knows and understands its target market, and knows it offers real value - has no fear of sending mail to its prospects - with a bold message.

Now, the only thing stopping you is you. Get out there and get it done!

____________________________________________

To comment on this article, please go to our blog.