Coaches, course creators, ebook authors, service professionals, and even e-commerce online businesses ALL struggle mightily trying to capture the attention and interest of their audience and convert that interest into action – ultimately buying what you are offering.
Yet the honest truth is that response rates are more abysmal than ever. You used to be able to make a decent profit and living off a website using email marketing and perhaps some newsletter advertising without having a very good set of marketing principles on your page…the web was new and reaching your customers was easier.
Today there is MUCH more competition, MUCH more noise, MUCH less direct touch and so knowing HOW to market properly for your online business is a MUST if you ever intend to turn your dream of running a 6-7 figure internet business into truth.
Having helped people for years on platforms such as 30 Day Product Profit System and others, we’ve been in the trenches working with new digital entrepreneurs to set them on the right track as well as experienced digital nomads who have been making all the mistakes and are finally ready to GET IT RIGHT.
Here are 3 of the MOST common mistakes online marketers are making limiting their growth and holding them back from achieving all they have wanted – and more…
The VALUE Trap
We hear it all the time…the first rule of marketing is to offer value to your market and ensure they see VALUE in what you have for them.
If there is a more misunderstood and misplaced concept in online marketing I’m not sure what it is…almost EVERYONE gets the practice of delivering value wrong.
This mainly stems from mistaking the perspective of value.
Instead of getting inside the mind (being empathetic) of your customer, you instead judge value from your own perspective. The challenge is…that rarely matches the leading value perspective that NEEDS to be in place from your market’s perspective.
Even for those of you who know your market well, have experience (sometimes decades of experience), you tend to forget or mistake current value perspectives based on what you experienced 10 or 20 years ago OR you have forgotten what it was like to be in their shoes (where they are TODAY) altogether.
So, how do you get this concept of adding VALUE for your market right?
- First, by understanding what they want and why they want it (often not exactly what they tell you),
- Second, understand what has been stopping them from getting what they want until now – what are the obstacles, either internal or external?
- Finally, examine from their point of view, how you would put a product together that will get them where they want to be…it needs to offer hope, a difference and the results.
Interestingly, in my field where I offer courses and digital products, it’s not JUST the system (steps they need to follow or the “how to”), but also mindset/hope they can get there, ongoing accountability and perspectives that deal with the challenges they may encounter along the way…that’s ALL value
In other words, look at how you can offer VALUE not jut value…meaning consider their wants and obstacles holding them back from a wider perspective – emotional, physical, relationship, financial, etc…
When you truly put yourself in the shoes of your customer and consider VALUE from a much wider perspective them suddenly you connect at a much wider and deeper level resulting in better marketing results
The SHORT-TERM Trap
I often get asked, “What’s the difference between sales and marketing?”
One of the major differences is objective and timeline…true Marketing is forgoing the immediate in favor of capturing attention, connecting and branding you and your company keeping both shorter-term action but more longer term Lifetime Customer Value in mind.
Many will say the two are aligned when in fact, they rarely are.
Many times giving more value up-front, the structure of your marketing campaign, the offers you present to your market and the products and services you offer are all dramatically impacted by this longer-term objective.
In our case, we may connect with our customers a dozen times before they EVER see an offer, or in any case, definitely before they buy a single thing from us…that sometimes occurs within 30-days but often happens outside of that 30-day window.
It’s not by chance, it’s in fact the way we plan it. The main reason is that we get a better quality of customer, their experience is elevated and they stay customers for much longer (decades in many cases)
Any of you who have built multiple businesses, multiple lists, membership sites or other continuity programs only to lose customers just as fast as you gain them should understand more than the others how short-term focus can lead to marketing madness!
So look closely at your marketing, your funnels, your offers, and your products – are they designed to coax a first or second time visitor to BUY something from you right away OR are they designed to truly assist, entertain or connect with your audience so they will come back for more from you?
There’s a big difference…ALL truly successful online businesses that experience ongoing growth take the longer-term approach – it’s really the ONLY model that works
Reaching Too LOW
The third marketing mistake I see many online entrepreneurs making is that they reach too low in terms of what they see their business being able to do for their market.
Entrepreneurs who start online businesses that copy others they may have seen or admired are one cause.
Others who underestimate the challenges with building customer connections is another.
A third group badly underestimate their own ability to grow beyond their current idea, product or service.
Whatever the reason, too be different and to stand out in the minds and hearts of your customers you want to have a bigger vision than your competition. That could be helping them get better results, it could be making the path simpler or it could be that you will take them further than THEY even thought.
All of this comes down to understanding that the Vision, Path, Mission and long-term philosophy of your business and how it will serve your market needs to be massive – even outrageous.
I’m not advocating you fabricate some grand vision and promise that you yourself do not believe is possible…what I AM saying is you must find a path to having a bigger vision than your competition AND be confident that you will help your market achieve it – even if you don’t know 100% how today.
It comes down to a confidence and self-belief in you and your business that you can translate toward your market…but AGAIN from a totally customer-centric point of view.
90% of attracting attention and securing customers for life comes down to cultivating inspiration, hope and belief – that must be central to your marketing for it to be truly effective.
