Hey, Siri, find me a recipe for baked potatoes. Okay, Google, how do I get to Aunt Agamemnon’s house? Have you done this recently - asked your phone or even a smart speaker in your house for some form of information? With the three major smart assistants vying for a space in your world, you’re more likely than ever to have one in your possession today and may find they’re in more places tomorrow. The Movie My Fair Lady was a film about the classic debate of nature versus nurture. Are we a product of our environment or is our way of being somewhat predetermined by the core software installed in our think-o-matic? That wasn’t the only Hollywood take on the subject, my favorite trio of goofballs, The Three Stooges, also explored the subject in their short Hoi Palloi. No matter where you fit on this debate there’s no questioning that your environment definitely contributes to your success. This is, of course, why the librarian is always shushing people who talk too much in the library - you’re supposed to be able to focus. Does your business model favor how you want to do business or how your customers do? Is it how it’s always been done or are you looking to see what your customers want? Recently this really came to light when I was working with a company on a project - and fired them. I have a project I’ve been working on for some time and have a few local vendors for this type of project that I have really liked working with. In fact, for years, I’ve been working with one of these vendors and have always been happy with their product, quality and pricing. Setting value doesn't mean lowering pricingRecently I was at a place enjoying a really great experience and the bill arrived and, after I paid, the customer service person told me I got a discount. But that made zero difference to me. Selling by discounting can sometimes actually hurt your business. Now I’m no Rockefeller or Bill Gates by any stretch of the imagination. It’s not like I light cigars with $100 bills only because I can’t find bills of larger denominations. So my not putting any value in the discount isn’t because of an overwhelming of lottery winnings that have become so annoying I just want to get rid of the darned money already. Does your business need an app? Should you invest in having a specific app for your business that smart phone users can download? Well, that depends. A lot of people ask me and I almost always answer the same way. But first of all, let’s look at the app infrastructure. If your business had an app you would somehow have to market that to prospective users so you’ve got the overhead of marketing an app along with the overhead of marketing your business in the first place. From whom are you looking for business referrals? Obviously asking your existing customers to tell others about your business is wise but are there bigger fish out there that you can hook? Can you find your voice in a crowded field. I say you can! Is what you’re doing what you’re doing or is it a side hustle? According to fool.com, which is actually a pretty good financial site, some 37% of Americans do. Perhaps you’re selling Tupperware, or you’ve found a way to make something cool in your basement and sell it at fairs or the lure of driving for Uber or Lyft has drawn you in. There’s an old saying “you always do what you always did, you always get what you always got.” In marketing this can be true or disastrously not. While your marketing may have stayed what was a successful course, the world might be looking elsewhere. Consider how poorly an ad in a telephone book might perform nowadays for most business types. So with this young year just showing promise of exciting opportunities ahead, it’s time to revisit your marketing. Is where your message is showing up truly the best place for that message? Are you spending in all the right places or is some of that spend just going down the drain? Is Facebook finally a worthwhile tool for business? I have been reticent to recommend using a Facebook-focused strategy in the past as Facebook is not a platform that you can control. Furthermore, the company makes changes at will and they don’t generally benefit your business. But there are ways to make Facebook make sense for your business. |
Tony BarthelTony Barthel is passionate about great marketing for small businesses Get Free Weekly Marketing TipsCategories
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