Marketing X.O

By Bevv Beirl

If you are doing the same type of marketing you did five, three or even one year ago, you’ll be left in the dust.  And regardless of what “they” are saying about Internet and social marketing, moving your marketing efforts and dollars totally online is not the answer.  Case in point: you’re reading this print magazine as will thousands of other potential clients and customers. 

Gone are the days when you could sprinkle advertisements and coupons around in hopes they would return customers.  Marketing your services and products has taken a quantum leap beyond 2.0 or even 3.0. I personally call it X.0 marketing.  Effective marketing today must have a carefully planned mixture of traditional and online elements.  The elements must work in concert and feed each other.  They must have a congruent, credible message delivered through multiple platforms to a targeted market.  And contrary to belief, looking for free online directories, blog post opportunities, or being permanently tethered to Facebook, Twitter or Linked In will help, but will not alone sustain a profitable business.

It will always be important to identify your best customer. It will always be important to deliver quality goods and valuable services. It will always be important to build a layered campaign with tracking mechanisms.  And it will always be important to learn how to convert an interested prospect into a satisfied customer.

Business competition has become more intense than ever. The savvy, well-informed consumer has become more discriminating.  Most consumers have been forced to adjust their spending habits during this economic downturn.  And the general census is that this is a behavior that will continue even after the recovery because we’ve all realized that spending and prices had gotten a little out of hand.

As a business owner, you wear many hats including the consumer hat.  You purchase goods and services to build and grow your business that in turn services your own customers and clients.  So as a consumer, where do you go to shop and from whom do you buy?  My guess would be that you, too, have become more discriminating with your purchases and look for vendors you know and trust to deliver value and outstanding service.  You look for the expert in the industry.  You look for the company that other people respect and would refer.

Enter X.0 marketing.

Becoming an expert in your industry or in an area of your industry is one of the best ways to generate leads.  But be forewarned; it takes time and consistency to build your reputation as an expert.  Proclaiming yourself an expert carries little credibility.  Becoming recognized as an expert begins with delivering valuable information without touting or selling your company.  It’s about learning how to write or how to find the best ghost writer to convey your valuable information.  Experts have learned that being in front of the potential client or customer with valuable information on a consistent basis develops a relationship with them.  And we all know people like to do business with people they know, like and trust -  even if they’ve never met them face-to-face.

It’s been said that one’s book or published article has become the new business card.  There’s something about seeing your name as the author on the book cover or at the beginning of an article that appears in a respected publication, website or blog of a third party that breaks down the sales barrier. The perceived message to the reader is that the author must be a trustworthy expert to have been featured, quoted or published by a credible source.  Most well-known resources wouldn’t tarnish their own reputations by promoting or publishing unworthy experts.

In this information overloaded society, specialized knowledge or expert advice must be accompanied by sincerity, passion and transparency and delivered succinctly.  The reader must feel compelled to call you because he trusts you; he is without the fear of being “sold” or becoming the victim of a bait and switch offer.

What valuable information could you offer from your years of experience in a particular industry or with a particular kind of product?  Isn’t it about time you have a marketing makeover?  Isn’t about time you become the expert you are?  Think about it!  But not for long ---- your readers/customers are waiting.

About the Author
Bevv Beirl has been an educator, motivational speaker and author for over 30 years. Bevy's passions are connecting people, creating business platforms and compiling information to assist business owners and entrepreneurs to break through personal as well as business challenge. In 2006 Bevv founded and is the CEO of Bay Area Business Magazine dba BABM Business Group. Bevv was a finalist for the Tampa Bay Business Journal's Business Woman of the Year award in 2008 and 2010. BABM was a finalist for the St. Petersburg Chamber's Business of the Year award in 2010. You can reach Bevv at Editor@BABM.com or 727-596-9791.