Stop Wasting Money on Your Marketing!
Someone once said, “I know that half my marketing doesn’t work, but I don’t know which half.”
I don’t know who said it – there are many suggestions. What I do know is that there’s no way you should ever not know which of your marketing activity isn’t working. That’s a total waste of marketing time and effort!
If you want to find out how to stop wasting money on your marketing, read on.
Stop Wasting Money on Your Marketing!
One of the secrets to great marketing is to do more of what works and less of what doesn’t work. Not rocket science, but many people I meet have no idea which of their marketing activities are working, so they try all sorts. “You have to try everything, don’t you?” I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been asked that. “NO!!”
There’s a simple way to find out what marketing is working – you measure all your tactics. That’s not rocket science either, but it’s a step that too many coaches, consultants and trainers miss out.
For many years now, there have only been three marketing activities that have brought me new clients. Referrals, networking and speaking at events. How do I know this? Because I measure my marketing on a regular basis. I look at how all my clients heard about me. How do I know how they heard about me?
I ask them!
It really is that simple.
“How did you hear about me?” is the question I ask any potential client who contacts me by phone, email or the form on by website. I record their answers in my database.
“How did you hear about me?” is the question I ask people who subscribe to Scribbles. Their answers are recorded in MailChimp.
For potential clients who contact me, there are only ever three answers.
- You were recommended to me
- We meet at a networking meeting
- I heard you speak at an event.
Never anything else. Never my blog, or any form of social media or any listing in any directory.
There are always three follow up questions I ask.
- Who recommended me to you? Because I always send a thank you card and gift
- Which meeting. Unless I can remember
- What event. Unless I can remember that too.
I record all the results in my database, including the name of the person who recommended me and the date. This allows me to refer back to them on a regular basis and enhance my marketing, without upsetting my budget. When I’m looking for new clients, I focus on three marketing activities.
- I ask my favourite clients and networking contacts for a referral
- I go to more networking meetings
- I look for speaking opportunities.
None of those activities cost me very much. Simple, confident marketing. Great results!
The Marketing Moment
It’s really easy exercise this time – measure your marketing! Look at every one of your existing clients and find out how they first heard about you. If you don’t know, ask them. If they can’t remember, help jog their memories – gently!
Record your findings. Make sure that you ask the same question of every single new enquiry. “How did you hear about me?” Add it as a compulsory field to the contact form on your website and your mailing list sign up form.
Review your numbers on a monthly basis. Look at what’s working and do more of it. Look at what’s not working and stop doing it!
Beyond the Blog
If recommendations, networking and speaking are the only three marketing activities that work for me, you might wonder why I carry posting blogs every single month. And why I put the article onto LinkedIn and my blog. You might be curious as to why I post something useful on LinkedIn every week.
Content (newsletter, blogs, LinkedIn posts) are the back up to referrals, networking and speaking. If you’re recommended to me, you might first check out the material on my website. If you like what you see, you’re more likely to pick up the phone and call me. If you can’t find a professional LinkedIn profile, you probably won’t get in touch.
My blog has never brought me a new client, as a first point of contact. It is, however, great back up material. I really enjoy writing it and I hope you enjoy reading it!
