Trial and Error + Persistence = Successful Marketing
Trial and Error + Persistence = Successful Marketing
By Diane Hughes
A
few honest and successful Internet business owners will attest
to the fact that they have made countless marketing mistakes.
Many of them will admit that they didn't get it exactly right on
the first try. However, practically all will tell you that -
without the gumption to take calculated risks and the
persistence
to follow through - they would have never developed a truly
successful online marketing campaign.
Let me encourage you to take a few calculated risks with your
marketing. Extend your comfort zone, so to speak. Step out of
the norm and take a leap of faith every now and then.
What am I talking about? Mainly, that most small business owners
are very, VERY conservative with their marketing programs. They
decide to spend a little money on ezine ads, purchase the least
priced classified they can find, run it one time, get no
response
and quit. It doesn't work that way. Not only will that strategy
fail almost every time online, it will fail offline, too.
One proven principle of marketing is: repetition breeds
remembrance and remembrance breeds sales.
You may not realize this, but it takes an average of 7 times
of being exposed to your product or service before the average
consumer even notices that you exist. Not before they buy...
before they even recognize you at all. Running one classified
ad simply isn't going to help.
!!! Submit Your Site to 2,000 Search Engines and Classifieds !!!
Your site will be submitted once a month to 2000 search engines,
announcement services and classifieds for a whole year. Also,
with just one click you can re-submit your site any time you want.
For example, if you are updating your site often, you can re-submit
every time you change it. Every submission produces a detailed
report on the results.
Because the cost of advertising can get to be a bit expensive,
many small business owners cringe at the thought of spending
more than they *think* they can afford. However, if your current
strategy isn't giving you an acceptable ROI, it's time to
change.
What's the smart and profitable thing to do? Create a campaign
and be persistent with it. Strategically search out and place
multiple ad runs with the same ezines. (I use ezine advertising
as my example, but the same applies to offline ads, banner ads,
joint venture projects, affiliate campaigns, etc.) Yes, it costs
more, but consider this... would you rather continue wasting
money on small one-shot ads that never produce, or save your
funds and run 3 sub sponsor or top sponsor ads that bring in
sales? I think the answer is obvious.
People can't buy from you if they can't find you. Advertising
(in one form or another) is a must.
Run a few ads on a trial basis. Ask for recommendations from
business associates and select some new ezines to purchase ad
space from. Change your headline or your copy to see if one
pulls
better than the other.
It is only by trial and error that we learn and progress. Why?
Because what works for one company, may not work for you. What
works "so-so" for one company might work better for you! But in
order to find out where your customers are and reach them, you
have to stick your neck out once in awhile.
Will you make some mistakes along the way? Yes. Will you "lose"
a little money on advertising? Probably. Will you discover a new
and successful way of advertising that brings in stronger
results?
Almost definitely!
About the Author
Diane Hughes is an accomplished internet entrepreneur and
editor of the popular ProBizTips Newsletter. Subscribe to
her newsletter for more tips, tricks, and secrets of the
trade -- plus get HUNDREDS of eBooks, software and tools
just for subscribing! http://viralmarketzone.com/diane
