Marketing is absolutely one of the hottest topics in business. So many people have no clear idea of how to leverage marketing in a way that it yields results. It’s because there are more than 30 ways any business owner could be marketing at any time. GEESH! It’s no wonder that it’s one of the biggest challenges amongst business owners today.
Here’s a truth:
Marketing is like a box of chocolates.
The fact is, you never know if what you do will yield the results you’re wanting. I am constantly reminding the audiences I speak to that marketing is how you get found, but getting found is completely contingent on an often overlooked component of marketing – positioning.
In 2013, I got the following question from Cynthia about her marketing woes:
“Hi Darnyelle, can I just say, I love you and Incredible Factor TV!? Ok, so I am really struggling with my marketing. I need your help. I feel like I keep missing the mark. I feel like I have tried EVERYTHING but I still have no clients. Can you please tell me how to make my marketing magnetic?”
Check out my response to Cynthia’s question in this week’s “Best-of” episode of Incredible Factor TV.
What I shared with Cynthia in 2013 is as true today as it was then.
As a business consultant and marketing coach, I sometimes have to remind my clients that you often have to go back to the drawing board. This notion brings me to a story: When I was a child and I lost something, my dad would tell me to retrace my steps. Your parents probably did too. Following his direction, I’d start at the last place I was and go back step-by-step until I found where I had it. And you know what, following that logic always worked. In many ways, identifying the holes in your marketing strategy is the same way. You have to go back over what you’re doing step by step so that you can find the holes and fix them.
Like I told Cynthia in the episode, I understand her (and your) pain. I remember when I felt the same exact way. So, before I tell you about how to make your marketing magnetic, I have to ask you if you are clear about:
Who you are – knowing who you are in the crowded marketplace may take some time to figure out. Clarity is very important because it will save you lots of time and frustration later. Start with the following questions: what is it that you do? How is it that you’re different? Why is it that who you are is exactly the right fit for those you want to serve?
Who you serve – knowing who is going to benefit from who you are is crucial. Nothing happens until someone sells something. And guess what?! There’s no sale without a buyer – your ideal client. Who are they? What are their problems? What do they need so that their problems cease?
How you help – knowing what you bring to the table is important as well. What are you helping them do? Have you considered the top-of-mind problems of your ideal clients? Have you figured out what would motivate them to take action by working with you? Remember to think of how you help in terms of value. What is the lifetime value of what you offer to your clients?
Not clear about the items above? Start there. Remember, getting traction with your marketing is about getting back to the basics.
Now, assuming you are clear – I have to tell you that I learned about magnetic marketing from doing tons of research, testing and refining. There are four powerful keys to shifting the way you create marketing messages that actually get you access to new clients:
1. Provide Education – so, how can you educate your ideal client audience? What do you have to say that would grab their attention and teach them something? When you provide education, you showcase your expertise in a way that tells your prospect that you’re an expert and you give them a level of comfort to consider you as their solution.
2. Offer an Experience – what can you do to create an experience that will resonate with those you desire to serve? From the moment they land on your website, how are they made to feel? Is your site easy to navigate? Are you making it clear how you help?
3. Elicit Emotion – how can you pull on the emotion of the problem that your prospect has? Remember, everyone in pain is actively seeking a painkiller. It’s all they can think about. It’s causing them great emotional strain. Think about connecting emotionally with your ideal clients in your marketing copy is the key to getting their attention.
4. Focus on a Problem – what is the top of mind SPICE™ problem that you understand and solve for your ideal clients? Remember your problem needs to fall into a “do anything” category in order for them to be ready, willing and able to pay for a solution. The problem that you solve must be specific and substantive, pervasive and persistent, immediate and insurmountable, your ideal clients must be clear and conscious that they have this problem and it must be expensive and expansive.
I like to call the four keys The E3P™ Marketing Formula. (Education, Experience, Emotion, Problem)
Magnetic marketing that has these four components helps you reach an additional 67% of your ideal audience that your marketing is missing currently. Here’s what I mean:
- 3% Loves Your Products/Services
- 7% Considers Hiring You
- 30% Knows Where You Are if They Need You
- 30% Has No Idea Who You Are
- 30% Is Not Interested in Your Products/Services
Most business owners don’t gain traction because they spend their tie with the 3% that love their products and the 30% who are not interested in their products and services. When you look in the middle, there’s 67% that could become your ideal clients!
3% Loves Your Products/Services- 7% Considers Hiring You
- 30% Knows Where You Are if They Need You
- 30% Has No Idea Who You Are
30% Is Not Interested in Your Products/Services
So, I recommend that you focus on educating your clients on why they have the problems they have. What are they constantly doing that is causing their misery and pain? Why is it important? What are the ramifications of not shifting from it?
And, speak from your expertise not your emotion! What I mean is, if you’re frustrated and desperate because you don’t have any clients, it’s likely that your desperation is coming across in your marketing message. And, if that is the case, that is absolutely why no one is buying…. Remember, if you have a marketing problem it’s seldom what you’re doing or not doing, it’s often what you’re saying or not saying. After all, marketing is just a conversation that you have with your ideal client to tell them that you can solve their problem.
Now I want to hear from you, what’s your two cents?: Do you need to go back to the drawing board? Have you recently retraced your steps in your business? What happened? What did you learn about yourself in doing so? What advice would you offer to Cynthia and others like her in the Incredible Factor community?
Share your two cents here and participate in our episode after party. And, if you need help getting back on track with your marketing, let us know if we can help!
©2016 by Darnyelle A. Jervey. All Rights Reserved. Darnyelle A. Jervey, MBA, The Incredible Factor Business Optimization Coach and Mentor, is the founder of Incredible One Enterprises®, Incredible Factor University® and the Leverage Your Incredible Factor System®, a proven step-by-step program so you experience financial and spiritual abundance in your life because of your business. For more information and a FREE audio CD “7 Critical Mistakes Even Smart Entrepreneurs Must Avoid for Clients, Connection and Cash Flow!” just fill out the form below.
