Consistency is the Mother of Effective Marketing

11. Apr, 2008 2 Comments

No path untried can be denied. So does that mean you have to try everything? One of the most obvious problems with marketing is the tendency for people and businesses to change directions on a regular basis. Consistently doing the wrong thing is foolish, but equally foolish is changing directions before you know if something is even working.

A lot of individuals and businesses lack this focus, and it is most prevalent with home businesses. They start marketing something, and discover that it is difficult, or they are not getting fast results so they change gears and try something else. One failure leads to the next.

Why does this happen? False hopes, hyped upped opportunities, and our society’s obsession with instant gratification. We want it all and we want it now! But in the world of marketing and sales, consistency is always going to win the day. A solid marketing program should be thought out completely before implementation.

The target audience and its ability to pay needs to be identified, the vector to distribute the sales message needs to be determined, and measurements to determine ROI should be in place, before any marketing plan is implemented. You should also have reasonable expectations and an appreciation for how long it may take to achieve the desired results. Begin with the end in mind and you will reach the destination much sooner. Make a plan, make sure it is realistic, and then stick to your plan. Remember, if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising is a great way for online marketers to make money, but most PPC campaigns actually end up losing money. The key to any marketing plan is in the details. If you have a great ad that drives tons of interested, ready to buy traffic to a website, but your website has poor sales copy, you will lose money. The advertising, the sales content and the products have to be in alignment in order to get positive results.

I recently tested a product that was unbelievable and did everything I wanted it to do. This is one of the best tools I have used in internet marketing. The sales page was very poorly done, so when I sent out messages to everyone on my email list I only received two sales. Great products, lots of traffic, but no sales! Businesses that offer SEO copywriting, and SEO/SEM and optimized press release, all contribute to developing effective and profitable online marketing plans. When considering the cost of these services, keep in mind the opportunity cost of lost orders.