On the right track...

I've been feeling a little off lately. Sales at the station have flattened, mostly because I've been trying to deal with personal issues. I find I never sell well when I'm feeling desperate on the inside. No matter how much I get out and play the "fake it till you make it" game. So I've been feeling somewhat like one of those little smiley guys on the forums - beating my head up against the wall.

It will turn, it always does.

Meanwhile, something I read at Marketing Roadmaps, perked me up considerably. The first part is about the blog I cited last week, but the part that jumped out at me was:

"The best social media marketing people won't be PR people. Or marketing people. They will have a skill set that blends both disciplines. Whether you are at an agency or in a company, start developing this -- in yourself, in your teams.

Stop worrying about whether PR or marketing is going to win. The answer is neither. And both."

This captures the essence of the message that I have been trying to communicate. It is what I have envisioned for Easy Results with Radio, when I began to tighten my focus to the three areas of radio advertising, podcast advertising and publicity as I explained in my interview with Kelly McCausey on WAHM Talk Radio this week.

Though I didn't describe it as such, I really do see this project of mine as a synergy between public relations and marketing.

It is so nice to see it confirmed by someone else. I needed that.

Rejection brings clarity to my mission statement

I was in a negotiation today, hoping to secure a client as a test for a podcast experiment. However, it just wasn’t quite the right fit. The potential clients’ interests were more in guerilla marketing techniques rather than paid opportunities. I personally believe that guerilla tactics should be mixed with sound and deliberate paid advertising.

I got the feeling I lost the sale because I wasn't clear in clarifying my intentions with this potential client. I have a feeling he thought I was just after the sale. I was after the sale, but not for alltogether selfish reasons. Yes, I'd make a commission - but I'd make nothing if the experiment failed. I think that's as much of a guarantee as anyone should be expected to make.

Anyway, it really got me to thinking about what I want to accomplish through this business.

I want to make sales, for sure. But I'm not going to knowingly steer anyone in the wrong direction. I don't believe in a one-size-fits-all brand of marketing. No one method is superior in all ways for all markets.

It's a natural assumption that as someone who sells advertising, I’m not of the mindset that paid advertising is something to avoid. On the other hand, I do generally advise caution and study before jumping into something new.

Advertising is something you need to learn how to harness. Advertising exists because good advertising works, and when backed by a great product – it’s a winning combination for a successful business.

My main focus is not on what works in general, but on what will work for your particular situation. In most situations, both paid advertising and guerilla tactics should be combined for the best return on investment.

Publicity, for example, is an outstanding guerilla tactic. However, I don’t believe it should be attempted as the sole marketing technique employed.

Whether you mix your publicity up with direct mail or email marketing or any other paid form of advertising – you should always have a mix of complimentary marketing methods in play at any given time.

In order for there to be a return of investment there has to be an investment. Whether it’s in the form of pay-per-click or affiliate commissions or any of the multitudes of advertising choices available, there is usually some form of advertising investment that is inherent to the running of a successful business.

Quality outsourcing is another key to a successful business. I think that is an essential to outsource and automate appropriate tasks so that you can concentrate on providing top quality goods and customer service. In the end, that is what creates returning customers.

I believe that bringing new customers in should only be the beginning of your marketing efforts. Treat prospective customers well, but treat your paying customers like gold. Because they are!

Across the board you will find this to be true – satisfied customers hold the biggest impact on our bottom lines.

Satisfied customers are the absolutely best guerilla tactic in the world. Most marketers would agree that testimonials make the best advertising copy!

Marketing is a circular process that can be largely automated so that you can largely set it and forget it. Not only that, if you can commit to planning for a year at a time, you can save up to 40% in some of your marketing costs.

Stay tuned to this blog for more on:

Money Saving Marketing Techniques

Using Audio Advertising to boost your market share

Creativity and the Captive Audience

Increasing your publicity returns with advertising

Outsourcing and the Bottom Line