Have you ever bought an article of clothing marked “One-Size-Fits-All” and then found that it doesn’t fit you AT ALL? I think everyone has encountered this at some point in their lives. And it sucks bigtime! Thankfully, the clothing industry seems to have caught on and this isn’t as prevalent as it used to be, but the marketing industry has now taken over. All too often I see this approach from my counterparts and the resulting frustration from their clients.
Just this past week I had two calls with new clients that bought into the One-Size-Fits-All strategies that other marketers sold them on. They came to me frustrated because they weren’t getting ANY results with the methods they were using. And this is a HUGE downfall of the industry, and – hold on tight for this next part because I’m going to drop an uncomfortable truth bomb: you, my dear business owners, are partially to blame.
We all know that having duplicatable processes help us save time by making things quicker and easier. But when you try to implement a one-size-fits-all strategy in your marketing because it’s easy for YOU, you’re kind of assuming that your audience is stupid. Because they’ve seen these methods before. A hundred times before. One-size-fits-all marketing is ONLY beneficial to the marketer, NOT the audience. And your audience WANTS you to be original in your approach. When they see you doing the exact same thing as everyone else, you fade into the sea of businesses vying for their attention. If your marketing looks just like everyone else’s, there is nothing motivating people to buy from you.
One of the new clients I signed last week was a victim of this. I’ll be using this business as a case study once I’ve redesigned the entire marketing strategy, so I won’t get into too much detail about it today, but suffice it to say that the strategy his previous marketing “expert” sold him on was ENTIRELY wrong for his industry. And upon doing some research on this expert, I found that this person was selling a cut and paste strategy to a variety of different businesses. ALL his website designs were EXACTLY the same; the voice of the copy he created was the same, and every one of his clients had the same shitty lack of flow and follow up in their strategy. It was really disappointing to see, because it’s people like this douche that over-charge and under-deliver that make people REALLY distrustful of marketers.
The bottom line is that One-Size-Fits-All doesn’t EVER fit all, regardless of whether it’s clothing or marketing. Your body is unique, and so is your business. Trying to cram either into something One-Size-Fits-All is a sure-fire way to end up disappointed and having wasted your time and money.
So how do you as a small business owner or entrepreneur ensure you’re getting a marketing strategy that is right for YOUR business and not a cookie-cutter piece of shit that isn’t going to do a damn thing for you?
6 tips on How to Avoid One-Size-Fits-All Marketing:
#1 KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE!
Who are they? Where do they hang out? How do THEY want to be marketed to? I cannot stress the importance of this one thing. Knowing your audience plays the BIGGEST role in effective marketing. As an example, if your business serves teenagers, marketing on Facebook is NOT going to work for you. Teenagers don’t hang out there. They’re on YouTube, SnapChat, Instagram and a variety of other social platforms. Learning about your audience is the most important thing you can do. It should be the FIRST thing you consider when trying to figure out how to market your business. Once you know who and where they are, you can place your message directly in front of them, guaranteeing they’ll see it.
#2 PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT’S PROMISED.
There are a variety of different goals when it comes to marketing, and each of them have different purposes and different language to describe them. As a business owner, you have a responsibility to know what your goals are and understand what you’re being sold on and what’s being promised to you. Visibility and engagement are NOT the same as sales and conversions, but one HAS to come before the other, and one is easier to achieve than the other. If no one knows your business exists, they can’t buy from you. But just because they KNOW you exist doesn’t mean they WILL buy from you. So your marketing strategy should include BOTH goals, but the sad reality is that most marketers are really good at visibility strategies, but are lacking on the sales and conversion strategies. You can have the most beautifully designed website around, but if you don’t have a conversion strategy in place, your website is pointless.
#3 KNOW THAT YOUR BUDGET IS INSUFFICIENT.
Look, I get it. You’re starting out and broke. Or maybe you’re just breaking even and are hesitant to pay someone for marketing services. So you bargain shop, and find someone that can hopefully do something for you that’s within your measly budget. But you’re never going to be doing $30,000 in monthly sales with a $200 marketing budget. Marketing is an INVESTMENT. It’s not a cost. It’s something that is required, and if done right, provides a return. As a general rule, you should be investing between 10% and 30% of your revenue into marketing, depending on your industry and how long you’ve been in business. If you’re just starting out, your marketing budget should be on the higher end. So if you want to be bringing in $30,000, you HAVE to be prepared to invest a minimum of $3000 a month reach that goal. By not taking your marketing seriously or investing in it adequately, you’re doing your business a HUGE disservice.
Now, I hear you. $3000 a month is a LOT of money, especially if you’re starting out. And some of you may not be making enough to enough have close to that budget for marketing. So what do you do if you ONLY have $200 to invest? Well, you’d invest it wisely. Giving that $200 to a marketer isn’t going to net you much in terms of quality or return. So skip that route entirely. Yup, you read that right. I, as a marketer, am telling you NOT to give that $200 to me. Because the truth is that I cannot do anything with that $200 that you can’t do yourself. If you’re not making enough to have more than a $200 marketing budget, your FIRST goal should be to increase your visibility. So take that $200 and invest it in pay per click ads that can increase your visibility and lead base. But ONLY if you’re buying ads on the platforms that your audience is on! If you’re stuck on where to invest, I invite you to reach out to me for a free consult call. I’m happy to provide some personalized tips and guidance and help set you up for successful marketing.
Don't implement a One-Size-Fits-All Marketing Strategy!
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#4 RUN AWAY FROM ANYONE THAT OFFERS GUARANTEED CLICKS OR SALES.
This is a tough one for a LOT of people. You’re investing your hard-earned money, so it’s only logical that you want to make sure you’re getting your money’s worth. But here’s the thing that people forget: we’re talking about PEOPLE. Can you guarantee me that you can make a person do something? Because I can’t. At the end of your marketing efforts are real, live people with autonomous thought and free will. The best we can do is anticipate their actions, but we can’t ever guarantee that another person will do anything. So as much as you may WANT to have actual guaranteed results, it’s just not ethically possible for ANY marketer to guarantee them. The best we can do is provide an estimate of intent. Instead of asking for guarantees, ask to see what they’ve done for their previous clients. That can provide you with a way better indication of what they can do for you.
#5 UNDERSTAND THAT EFFECTIVE MARKETING TAKES PATIENCE – AND TESTING. LOTS AND LOTS OF TESTING.
Here’s another hard truth for you: When it comes to marketing, there is no “set it and forget it” approach. You’re never going to get it right on the first try. You are going to have to go back and tweak it. Then tweak it some more. Test and tweak. Test and tweak again. And again. And again. You’re going to test and tweak until you find something that works. This means paying attention to metrics like site visits, bounce rates, responses, abandoned carts, open rates, and all the other various metrics available to you or your marketer. Adjusting your strategies is a requirement. It is a necessary part of any successful marketing plan.
#6 GET TO KNOW YOUR MARKETER AND THEIR METHODS.
Make sure your marketer can effectively market YOUR business! Hiring a marketer that has experience working with people in YOUR industry is going to be your best bet. The client I mentioned earlier? The marketer he hired worked specifically with coaches and service-based businesses like accountants. His work history doesn’t include businesses like my new client’s. Which is why he’s now my new client instead of continuing to work with that person. That’s not to say that just because someone hasn’t worked with your industry before, it makes them a bad fit, but you do want to make sure that they can help YOUR business. Ask to see their portfolio and take a look at the types of businesses they’ve helped. A marketer with a well-rounded portfolio will probably be able to assist you way better than a marketer that specializes in one particular type of industry unless that industry is YOUR industry.
Over the last 9 years, I’ve worked with health and wellness companies, contractors, real estate agents, coaches and consultants, direct sellers, e-commerce businesses, trades businesses, and a variety of other business types. I don’t like to limit myself, but I also know that my experience doesn’t qualify me to work with every industry out there. There are some industries that I wouldn’t attempt because I know that I couldn’t do it justice. The strategies that I specialize in don’t work for every business, and I know this. It would be arrogant of me to assume otherwise. So on the rare occasions that a business in an industry that I’m not familiar with comes to me, I ALWAYS refer them to someone else. I am a firm believer that when my clients succeed, I succeed. And I believe that every marketer should be operating under that philosophy.
The bottom line here is that one-size-fits-all marketing strategies don’t work. Your marketing strategy should be unique to your business and your audience. If you’re not sure how to start, get in touch with me. I can help point you in the right direction.
Book your FREE Marketing Consult Call Now!
Marketing your business can be overwhelming, but you don't have to figure it out alone. I am here to help.
Schedule your FREE 30-Minute Consult Call NOW!
You have my guarantee that there is no sales pitch in this call and zero pressure to commit to anything. Just 100% actionable advice from a pro - for FREE! So go ahead and click that button, pick a time that works for you and let me know how I can best help you.