Marketing needn’t be a big-ticket hassle. Here are some quick fixes that can have a huge positive effect on sales.
Many entrepreneurs wrongly believe that a marketing plan requires weeks or even months of brainstorming, analysis, and implementation. Not so, says Mark Satterfield, author of The One Week Marketing Plan.
Along with some comments from yours truly, here are 10 easy marketing moves, based on Satterfield’s book, that you can do today to reach and win customers.
1. Offer something substantial for free.
Conventional business wisdom is that giving freebees to your prospective clients is a dumb way to do business. However, if you’re not offering at least something for free, you’ll lose customers you otherwise might win.
Nowhere is this more obvious than in mobile apps, where nearly every product starts free and then become pay to play. However, the same tactic works in B2B. Many SMBs provide prospects with a free report or white paper.
2. Hone your marketing content.
Many companies have marketing materials written in boring “corporate talk” and unnecessarily complicated technical jargon. Here’s a trick: Read your marketing content aloud; if you sound like Dilbert’s pointy-headed boss, it needs rewriting.
To create content for your site that captures the ongoing interest of potential customers, aim for the tone you’d strike in a one-on-one conversation with a prospect or customer you already like.
Geoffrey’s comment: Clear writing requires clear thinking, especially when it comes to removing biz-blab. I recently posted three exercises to train your brain to think and write without these verbal crutches.
