Awhile back we wrote a piece called “The 5 Biggest Mistakes with Small Business Marketing.” Two of those mistakes are right here. Thus, 40%. Follow along, campers…
Mistake #1: A Press Release = Your Marketing Plan
I had a phone call recently with a very smart guy whom we’ll call Gary. (That’s his real name.) He talked to a local business in his city and said “let me get you some press.”
Then Gary went ahead and got them some press. He used a couple of really simple methods to get this press – he picked up the phone and called influential people, then he pinged a couple bloggers with notes about this guy’s business.
Within an hour, he had, like, 5 press hits. (They weren’t “like” 5 press hits. They WERE 5 press hits.)
Point? He didn’t need no stinkin’ press release.
“But all we need to do is write a press release and send it to reporters!”
Work with me here: in most cases this is NOT EFFECTIVE*.
My mug once got on the front of the Sunday Business Section for a Top 5 Paper in the USA. No press release. It was a relationship-building phone call or two (or, in this case, TEN, as well as a couple meetings for coffee or lunch).
Oh, and did it get me business?
Yes, and no. Which will bring us to the next point. But first…
It’s not how you get coverage, it’s the right coverage. Just make sure you’re not assuming that your press release will get you coverage. Onto mistake #2.
*Not effective in most cases because, well, there’s now “news value.” However, if you use a service like PitchEngine, which we love, then you’ve got a better chance of getting your story out there. Just make it good.
Mistake #2: Not Focusing on Your “Market”
Had another call recently with another smart person, whom we’ll call Ezekiel. (That’s not his real name.)
Sure you will, Zeke. If your market is reading, or watching, or listening.
Welcome, people, to the world of “Nichification™.” We like that word so much, we’re trademarking it.
Sure, you might have a mass-market product. Men’s boxer shorts. Dog collars that emit cologne. Whatever. Good on ya, mate.
The beauty of the World Wide Web (we should trademark that, too) is that you will find competition in every single product category. Getting on FOX News will only get you so far. Then you need to use that credibility to find buyers of men’s boxer shorts. Then you need to target them. Directly.
They call it “The Long Tail,” after the Chris Anderson book. Selling a lot of stuff to a small group of people.
The world doesn’t care how cool your product is, or your service is, or even how cool you are. They want to know “WIIFM” – “What’s In It For Me?”
The dog owner who wants his dog’s collar to emit cologne? He wants to know benefits of your product. He’s your market. Sell to him. Nichify.
NOTE: This is a taste of the kind of value we deliver on a daily basis to members of the 12 Minute Marketing Community. Marketing tips each weekday, 12 Minute bites, ready for you to digest and use in your work? And designed for the small business guy or gal, the solo practitioner, the life coach, the MLM’er, the independent consultant, the lawyer, the accountant? No Echo Chamber of Social Media Crap here. Real stuff you can use if you want to be more effective doing your job.
