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For
many holistic health related businesses, marketing is often neglected
or put off. Money is tight; many personal sacrifices have been made
just to get the business started. And many people have misconceptions
about what marketing and/or advertising can do for their business.
Coupled with a extreme dislike for the process, unreasonable
expectations can doom your efforts before you even get started.
First, let me say that marketing cannot save a doomed business--one
that has an inferior product or one that offers a service no one wants.
If your business is poorly operated (e.g. your staff is unfriendly or
incompetent, your product falls apart after two uses, your pasta is way
overcooked, delivery is extremely slow) marketing might lure people
initially, but they won’t come back again.
Eugene Schwartz in his book, Breakthrough
Advertising, writes “Copy cannot create desire for a product. It
can only focus already-existing desires onto a particular product.” Are
other people successful doing what you are doing? Is there too much
competition in your area for what you do?
Marketing cannot bring you loads of new clients overnight or instant
riches either. It takes time. If you are in desperate trouble, there
are a few things you can do, but traditional marketing practices won’t
be enough to save you. So take some time to figure out where you stand
before proceeding further.
6 Things Marketing
Can Do Very Well
1.
Generate inquiries from potential clients or customers
2.
Increase traffic in your store or restaurant
3.
Promote a special event
4.
Tie-in with manufacturer’s promotions
5.
Let people know about your new business or store
6.
Acquaint people with a new product or service
Marketing Takes Time
We’ve
already mentioned this more than once, but it’s so important it worth
repeating over and over. In marketing, patience is the biggest
challenge. Many people expect too much too quick. They want an instant
increase in business, instant sales of product, instant success. They
place an ad and expect the phone to ring off the hook. Unfortunately,
it doesn’t work this way.
This is where planning comes in. If you have realistic goals and a
budget to cover it, then you can afford to give your marketing plan the
time it needs to really kick in.
Repeat exposure is the key. There is a process you must go through in
most cases. From the point of introducing yourself to a new client,
customer, or patient to the point that they actually buy from you takes
time. When people first see your ad, read your direct mail
letter, or hear your radio commercial, they may not pay it much
attention. After all, they are being bombarded with a million messages
every day. But you have taken the critical first step in making them
aware of you.
To
quote Jay Conrad Levinson, author of the bestselling book Guerrilla Marketing, “It is easier
to achieve a healthy share of market if you first obtain a healthy
share of mind.” In other words, in order for you to become successful
or dominant in your field, people must think of you first when they
need your service or product. If you are a chiropractor, you would want
people to think of you if they injure their back and need treatment. If
you are a restaurant owner, you would want someone to think of you when
they are looking for a good place to go out to dinner. And if you are a
couples counselor, you want people to think of you if they need help
with their relationship.
You might have a specialty product or service that folks don’t think
about until the need arrises. Maybe you have an acupuncture practice
and you specialize in helping people with allergies. During the winter
when most people don’t suffer from allergies, they may not be thinking
of you. But when the time comes and they need help, if they have seen
your ad or brochure and need help, they will feel comfortable calling
you.
One terrific ad or promotion can definitely help your business, but it
is not going to make you profitable for the long-term. You need to
think of your marketing as an investment. If you work at it and are
consistent, it can pay off big time.
Janice
Hughes and her partner Dennis Hughes publish The Share Guide, a
holistic health magazine & resource directory for Northern
California, and shareguide.com
a resource on holistic health for the online community.
Dennis
and Janice are experts on marketing--after having published the
magazine for 18 years, they have the tools to help you get the word out
about your holistic health business.
To
learn more about advertising in The Share Guide: click here
©
2006 by Janice Hughes, all
rights reserved
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