[ Marketing Tips ]

Marketing Tips« Back to Ideas Collection

 

Distinguish Your Marketing with These 3 Tests

Stop marketing by accident! No matter what your strategy is for getting your brand to the forefront of people's minds, you must be intentional and learn ways that will outsmart your competition. Scrutinize your different marketing platforms to ensure your marketing is increasing your brand awareness by delivering a unique and valuable message to your customers. If you have yet to put your marketing under the microscope, it's time to put it to the test.

Here's a quick look at a three-part test that can revolutionize the messages you're delivering and out-position your competition.

The 'Prove-It' Test

Can you prove your marketing messages? Do you have testimonials to back up what you promise? If not, you need to redevelop your marketing messages. Verifiable facts, along with third-party proof, should be easily accessible by your customers so they can rest assured that all of your different marketing messages are based on honesty and integrity.

The 'So-What?' Test

What's the point of your marketing messages? Do they have value? Do they answer a question? Do they explain to customers how your products and services can be of use? The best way to pass the So-What? test is by reading through each of your marketing messages and then asking yourself "so, what does this marketing message say?" If the messages don't bring value to your customers, you'll need to create better ones.

The 'Black Marker' Test

This is the most important test of all because you must make sure all of your ads are well-branded. Take a few of your ads and line them up next to the ads of your competitors. Next, black out the company names on each ad with a black marker. Ask people outside of your company to pick out which ads are yours. If your ads can't be distinguished from your competitors' ads, then you have a problem.

The Takeaway

Distinguishing yourself among a sea of other marketers is an essential part of the marketing process. It's time for you to start testing the marketing messages you are sending to make sure that they're passing these essential tests and bringing value to your company instead of tarnishing your brand.

Do It! Marketing: 77 Instant-Action Ideas to Boost Sales, Maximize Profits, and Crush Your Competition

by David Newman

As a small-business owner or solopreneur, you wear many hats--perhaps the most important of which is marketer.

But these days, with so many new ways to reach customers and clients -- and only so much time in the day -- it's hard to know where to start. Should you be using social media? Email? Blogs? Video? SEO?

Small business marketing doesn't have to be a mystery. It's just a series of simple decisions (and the action steps to implement those decisions) that will help you regain the clarity, confidence, and control you need to succeed.

Do It! Marketing is a quick read and an encouraging kick in the pants that will reignite your marketing mojo. The underlying premise is that "only action creates results."

Packed with do-this-now ideas to attract, engage, and win more customers and clients, this no-nonsense book reveals how to:


  • Avoid blah, blah, blah marketing

  • Use magnetic marketing strategies that pull (not push) qualified prospects into your world

  • Get noticed using the power of 3PR

  • Position yourself as the go-to expert in your field

  • Become the obvious choice by building your

  • Thought Leadership Platform

  • Do social media right

  • Zero in on your customers' pain/gain factors

  • Learn to speak prospect language about prospect problems

  • Generate a steady stream of referrals

  • Identify and focus on high-payoff marketing activities

  • Gain clarity, confidence and control so you sell more - more easily and more often

  • Cultivate and leverage enthusiastic advocates

  • And more



Energetic, inspiring, and filled with concrete strategies, tactics, templates, and tools, Do It! Marketing shows you how to stop "marketing by accident" and start outsmarting, out-positioning, and out-executing the competition.