Old school marketers are dead. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that.

Marketing no longer resembles the textbooks of the 90's.  Old-school marketers no longer have a advantage over young marketers since the rules of game have changed. If your firm is still conducting marketing of the past, you are missing out on real opportunities. Doing the same will not result in the same results, you may not get any results at all.

How goods and services are researched and purchased has, and continues to change.  Even industries that have existed on personal networks alone are needing to re-evaluate their sales and marketing approach. If your marketing department hasn't changed the way they do business in the past five years, it's time to re-evaluate this department.  Here's why you may need to take a fresh look at how your reach and sell to your target market.
Marketing needs to be scrapped -- here's why


Know Your Target Market

Do you really know your target market?  Their behaviors; how they find information; do they read blogs and if so which one; where and when do the shop for goods and services; what organizations (personal, professional, non-profit) do they identify with...and so on.

Marketing is no longer making calls from your Rolodex, setting up a sales calls and dropping off a brochure. If this is your sales model you are missing real opportunities.  Everyone is busy, they walk around with a computer in their hand and they search online.  Yes, people still want to do business with people they like, but they choose people and brands they identify with.  Ones that are 'endorsed' by their peers; people whose opinions they trust.  Take a look at your market and determine how best to reach them. Also, think about forming partnerships with organizations, and perhaps even bloggers, that would be a good fit for your business.

Mobile-Friendly Website

So you already have a website, but when was it built? Is it mobile friendly? Even if your customers do not buy goods and services directly from your site, they will want to know more about you and will look for you online. If you cannot be found online, it's like you are invisible.

 I have a potential client I spoke with recently who has a unique and specific technology product that works on regulating large commercial HVAC units. He recently obtained a new large contract that came as a recommendation.  However, once this interested potential client found out about the company's innovative product, it look six months for this him to find the company, all because they were 'hidden' online.

You may think all your customers will just type your business name into Google, but considering the vast number of businesses globally, there may be more businesses with your name than you think. Even if they do find your site, if it's not mobile-friendly they may just leave the site.  Not everyone is sitting at a desk-top, so you must ensure your website can be properly viewed on phones and tablets.

Social Media

Talk about hearing it through the 'grapevine.'  Social Media is just that, a way to share information that is picked up by others and continues to get shared. If you are not on social media you are missing out a big opportunity that is not going to go away. There are many media and each comes with its own benefits. I promise there is at least one that will benefit your business.

If you do not use social media now, look for help.  It's an inexpensive tool that can make positive impacts on your business.

Analytics

This is pretty much one of the coolest things that has ever happened to marketing.  In the past getting good metrics on marketing was difficult.  You could look at sales and do marketing research.  Now that so much of what we do is technology-based there is more you can learn.  By analyzing the data that make up your sales information, your customer service information, and even your warranty information, it can  give you timely feedback, allowing you to make small changes to your marketing strategy that drive big results.

If your marketing strategy has not changed in several years, scrap it.  Customers buying habits have changed, therefore your marketing should too.  Make sure your investments are driving the best results, otherwise you are just throwing away money and potential customers.












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