Feel Like You’re Marketing to a Wall?
The Sprocket Report
This article has been updated on 7/20/2021 with the article entitled “Trite and True Observations on Marketing to Inspire You.”
A business acquaintance was telling us about her new website – created by a competitor – when she suddenly became uncomfortable. “I never thought to ask you. I mean, I knew you worked with computers, but I didn’t realize you did websites.” And we have the word “websites” in our company name. So it’s back to the drawing board – what is our marketing missing?
Logo, website, social media, newsletter, blog, networking, contests, ads, sponsorships – Sprocket has explored many marketing avenues. You probably have, too. Since the websites we build are a part of our clients’ marketing strategies, we think about marketing more than most SMBs (small and medium-sized business). Here’s what we’ve learned:
- If you build it, they don’t just come.
Whether you open a brick-and-mortar store or launch a website, you won’t get enough traffic from folks who happen to stumble upon you. You need to drive the traffic from elsewhere.
- When the student is ready, the master appears.
Because until they’re ready, you’re basically invisible. Good marketing puts your name in all sorts of places so when a prospect decides they need the service or product you offer, you “suddenly” appear.
- A prophet isn’t honored in his home town.
Some folks are influenced by the slick marketing of an out-of-town company and figure they must be bigger, and therefore better, than the local competition. Projecting professionalism is the only way to compete.
On the flip side, other folks prefer to work with someone they know, even if that person doesn’t have the skills needed to do the job. Constant networking builds the contacts necessary to be the skilled guy to know.
- Don’t hide your light under a bushel.
Nobody trusts a braggart, but if people don’t know what you do and how well you do it, they’ll never think of you when they need your product or service.
Even by practicing all that we’ve learned, our marketing apparently could use a boost. We don’t really have an answer to the marketing-to-a-wall question. How about you? If you have an observation, we’d appreciate your feedback. We’d love to start this conversation for all of our readers because you know we’re always happy to help!
Kate Gingold
I have been writing a blog with web marketing tips and techniques every other week since 2003. In addition to blogging and client content writing, I write books and a blog on local history.
Other posts by Kate Gingold
Contact author
Full biography
Full biography
I have been writing a blog with web marketing tips and techniques every other week since 2003. In addition to blogging and client content writing, I write books and a blog on local history.
x
Linked In
Google Plus