Wing-and-a-prayer marketing

“We have to get our name out there!” is the flight path for many business owners when it comes to marketing strategy. Their intention is to place their businesses’ names and service descriptions everywhere they can. They assume that, if they show up on enough mugs, calendars, magnets and park benches—or any other surface or opportunity that will support their business details—people will see it, want what they have to offer and call them.

Unfortunately, that’s rarely the case. That’s the wing-and-a-prayer approach. It’s like flying your rusted, rattletrap airplane on automotive fuel, without instruments, in bad weather and hoping to arrive at your destination alive. The odds are not in your favor.

Occasionally, this type of marketing might generate a lead or two for you, but it’s not going to consistently deliver the kind of results you need to grow your business.

The “get-your-name-out-there” strategy is flawed. First, it requires much more time, effort and money than you can possibly give it to ensure you have your name in front of enough people to do the job required. Second, it presupposes that everyone you invest to get your name in front of is someone who will actually buy from you. Finally, it presumes that if your name was once in front of them, when they have a need, your logo pen (or the like) will be in their hands and they’ll see it and call you.

Fly this marketing rattletrap with caution.

This year your goal is to replace “get-your-name-out-there” with “get-their-names-in-here” marketing. By that I mean implement strategies and tactics that compel the right prospects to come to you.

You can accomplish this new goal in several ways. Narrow your focus to only those who are already predisposed and most likely to buy your services. Know and learn about the specific problem, predicament or pain they have that you can uniquely help them solve. Address those issues in a powerful way with your marketing. Create compelling offers designed to get them to seek you out for your innovative approach or unique solutions.

Then you can market to them persistently. Think campaign-style marketing, not a one-time blast. Measure, adjust and improve what you do. Stop all wing-and-a-prayer marketing.

Yes, I know the world desperately needs more cheap logo pens. But thankfully, they won’t be coming from you.

Tom Adams is a records and information management and information destruction marketing expert. Check out his regular marketing and training tools at TomAdams.com/SDB.