How To Link It To Your Industry

The marketing world is full of catch phrases. You are not your Consumer. Link to Your Consumer. Behavioral Marketing.  The list is endless. These mission statements mean nothing without a point of reference. Marketers use these phrases to try and explain to business owners. Instead of talking down to business owners with catchy phrases, marketers need to learn how to listen to business owners.

Many small business owners enter the entrepreneur world with a solid understanding of their industry. They worked in the industry, networked with clients, and were consumers of the product. Successful business owners have their hands on the pulse of the industry. They subscribe to the trade magazines. They attend conferences. They are members of the national associations. So, why do marketers fail to listen?

Many small business owners have the experience and knowledge needed to market to their own consumer base. They just need the tools to do it. There are several ways to market a product. The easiest include email marketing campaigns and internet advertising.

A successful campaign is a Joint Venture between the business owner and an email marketing service, or an ad agency. The business owner possesses knowledge that the marketer may not have. The best way to build a marketing campaign, and to establish a company’s credibility, is to tap into this information.

Blog

Most blog owners ‘miss the mark’ by publishing evergreen content. On the internet, evergreen content is something that everyone publishes, and is so ambiguous that anyone can write about it.  What small business owners educate their clients, and offer 100% transparency to their clients. Talking about the industry secrets and telling stories about working with clients, even if they are fictitious but based on real events, will help sell a product.

Forums and Social Networking

If your only objective is to get onto the networking sites and sell a product – then do not get started. Social networking is not about what you can get from a network, but what you give. Offering socialization and networking will eventually result in sales. The trick is to be patient. Find the right networks, and discard those that have no true networking involved.

Article Writing

One of the most powerful methods of building page rank, inbound links, and establishing credibility is through article writing. Keep in mind that the web is already full of evergreen content. Write something interesting and publishers will consider using it. If the signature line does not ‘invite’ guests to leave the host’s website, then the article will end up spread across the Internet.

Bad Sig Link: “learn more about article writing at www.mywebsite.com where you can download a free ebook.”

Good Sig Link: “Mr Guru is a published author who speaks locally on small business topics. His credentials and accomplishments can be viewed at www.mywebsite.com”

Newsletters

Many small business owners overlook email marketing and sending out newsletters. They associate these advertising venues with spam and ‘throw the baby out with the bathwater.’ Sending out a newsletter is a good way to advertise, letting your ‘recipients’ publish articles in their blogs and websites is a great way to build inbound links.

Credibility Sells

All small business owners have one sales tool that can level the playing field – credibility. Use this to build your client base. Use the information that you know, your experiences, your skills, and your ‘insider’ information. In the end, the most powerful tool you own, is your personal knowledge.