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B2B Marketing - Is Distraction Marketing Keeping You From Getting More Clients?

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Published: 14Mar2012
Word count: 683
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About a month and a half ago, I upgraded from the free version of Words With Friends (WWF) to the paid app. It could be a difference between the paid version and the free version or it could be that I inadvertently hit something in settings - but suddenly the siren song chime that used to alert me that someone had made a move and it's my turn went away. Result: I have not been grabbing the phone and playing WWF as often as I was.

WWF was a distraction for me. It's an enjoyable, delightful, wonderful distraction, but a distraction nonetheless.

There is such a thing as distraction marketing. It's the activities or services you buy to create the illusion that you are doing something. I believe the number one distraction marketing tactic is email marketing. The first distraction is the search to find an email list vendor. The second distraction is finding the email distribution platform. The third distraction is all the juicy metrics - opens, clicks, etc. And suddenly, it's time to send out the next email blast.

Are your email blasts getting clients?

I could have picked on any marketing tactic; I picked on email marketing because it's the most prevalent tactic being used. A little piece of my heart cramps every time a business owner lays down a bet that this list purchase will be different from all the previous purchases.

What is your strategy?

Who is your ideal prospect (customer)?

Does this list even resemble the ideal prospect (and how do you know)?

What are the compelling events in the prospect's business life that push the need for your products and services to the forefront?

How do you solve the problem and move them forward?

If they do open the email, click on the link, and explore your website, will they find content that educates and satisfies the questions they have? Will they find real life examples of where you've helped businesses or will they read a bunch of jargon?

When you stop marketing to everybody and start marketing to the people who are likely to become clients or can refer people who are likely to become clients - a magical thing happens. Your list begins to shrink. Rather than panic you should feel relief. You can now focus on identifiable people and create more personalized and meaningful messages.

You can now narrow the list of content and zero in on the information that is likely to make your ideal prospect stay a little longer and improve their chances of returning. You can begin to walk real people through the Marketing Hourglass of Know, Like, Trust, Try, Buy, Repeat, and Refer. During that walk you can develop a relationship with someone who matters and who values you as well as your products and services.

A smaller list and a more tailored message, means that you can spend money on marketing vehicles that have a greater chances of capturing attention.

When your communication really resonates with the recipient - you'll hear about it. People will be delighted that someone took to the time to write something meaningful, helpful and personally directed at them. If you think about it, it's really kind of arrogant to ask people to spend time reading something you spent little or no time writing - something that is no more than "this is what we sell, are you ready to buy?" And, sadly it's done way too often.

Don't fall victim to distraction marketing - something that gives the allusion of activity and a spattering of metrics to preoccupy us.

With real marketing - we know if we're getting clients. We know if people are progressing with us through the Know, Like, Trust, Try, Buy, Repeat, and Refer Marketing Hourglass. We have the conversions and relationships to prove it.

Dawn Westerberg invites business owners to "fall in love with your business again" through sound marketing strategies that bring results and profits. An Authorized Duct Tape Marketing Consultant, Dawn Westerberg serves clients throughout the United States and Canada.

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