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Why Insight and Flexibility is More Important than Perseverance in Marketing |
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Marketing successfully requires not only insight into how a product or
service can be successfully marketed but also flexibility into the
marketing of a product or service.
This is one of the marketing principles that doesn't seem to be taught
successfully. Too many times, the "marketing gurus" will promote a type
of marketing that has worked for them to the exclusion of all other
types of marketing.
Now the type of marketing they promote may very well have worked well
for them, but it is folly to believe that one marketing method and one
marketing method only will work for every product or service
everywhere. This just is not the reality as marketing methods can be as
unique as the products and services that are marketed.
Innovation, creativity and flexibility are needed in any type of
marketing efforts. Trying several types of marketing is usually the
best method of eliminating marketing methods that fail, and determining
which marketing methods are successful.
Online business or any type of business for that matter demands
perseverance and determination. Perseverance and determination are also
promoted heavily by the marketing gurus. However, perseverance and
determination does NOT mean sticking with a marketing method that is
incorrect for the product or service or NOT producing any results. It
does not mean continuing self-defeating marketing methods over and over
at a loss each and every month.
To prove a point about the misconceptions sometimes promoted by the
marketing gurus and the misconceptions others may have about
perseverance in general, I've used two actual case studies below:
A. Case Study #1 is a young male who started an online business many
years ago promoting marketing resources and marketing strategies. He
had many fine offerings that were of great value, as he spent much time
and energy researching and developing resources. He read many manuals
from marketing gurus, who stressed a lot on list building and e- mail
marketing.
This young man, following the marketing guru's advice, spent much time
and energy for years, e-mailing others relentlessly, swapping ads for
further exposure, writing articles in other newsletters and e-zines,
and trying every "trick" of e-mail marketing to no avail. He also
persisted in this strategy as he had taken to heart the principle of
"never quitting" quite literally, which the gurus had promoted so
heartily to him.
He lost quite a great deal of time and money until he noticed that his
Web site had been ranking quite well in the Search Engines (after all,
he had great content). Most of the few sales he had been making were
coming directly from his Web site, despite the fact that he did not
believe in (and dreaded) Search Engine marketing! He rethought the
whole process and his approach, and began focussing on marketing his
resources strictly from his Web site, applying his perseverance and
determination to that, with incredible success ever since!
B. Case Study #2 is a middle aged female who approached the marketing
somewhat differently, as she had read a manual from a different
marketing guru. She was promoting a customized service, rather than a
product, and the guru, whose advice she followed, firmly believed in
Search Engine marketing, and Search Engine marketing alone. She spent
literally tons of money, and tons of time, getting her Web site to the
top of the Search Engines.
Like Case Study #1, she felt that if she only gave it enough time, and
persevered, sales would be made. As time went on, she discovered that
most of her sales were being made through her e-mail marketing. Her
articles, ad swapping, and other e-mail marketing efforts (she
published routinely her own newsletters and e-zines), were leading to
more clients than those which were attained off her Web site. In her
case, e-mail marketing was the "key" to success, but she also was
following the mandates of the wrong marketing guru.
The above two studies highlight the folly of blindly following the
mandates of any marketing guru. While many do have good solid advice to
give, the business owner must possess enough flexibility to test many
methods. Creativity and an open mind help immensely when determining
marketing methods.
Perseverance and dedication are important, of course. But they must be
applied correctly, along with flexibility and innovation, for success
to occur in a business. All avenues should be pursued with perseverance
and dedication and then choices of marketing methods made based upon
the results. After all, results are what make a marketing method
successful! Without results, any marketing method is a dismal failure.
Vishal P. Rao is the owner of Home Based Business Opportunities - One of Internet's leading website dedicated to starting, managing and marketing a home based business.
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