Thursday 9 April 2015



by
culled from:http://marenfinzer.com
You work hard, and you’re really good
at what you do.
You’ve always been smart.
One of the best.
But don’t take a left down easy street
yet.
Be sure to check this list to make sure
you’re not making these mistakes that
a lot of marketers unknowingly make.
Or you may be getting the boot instead
of the atta-boy.

1. You’ve buried your zing.
Your sparkle is gone. You’ve gotten bland and boring, and
blend in with everyone else who does what you do.
As a matter of fact, your customers hardly even notice you’re
still there.
Wake up! Infuse your personality back into your
brand.
Your personality is what connects you with your your
customers. And in the long run, increase sales.
2. Your vision is blurred.
You’ve lost clarity, and don’t know who you are as a
business anymore.
You’ve wandered off course without realizing it.
If you don’t know where you’re going, how do you know
which path to follow?
Focus and get back on track by creating a crystal clear vision
of what you want to create in your business and WHY.
When you create a vision with incredible clarity, your
customers become excited to be a part of the big picture.
3. You don’t know who you’re serving.
If you don’t know who your target audience is, how do you
know what they need?
Or where they are?
Or who you’re talking to?
If you don’t know who you’re marketing to, you’re just shooting
in the dark. After a while you’re sure to hit something, but not
without spending lots of time, money and energy to do it.
Irresistible brands can describe who their audience is in detail.
They know them as if they were a best friend. And they’ve built
trust and loyalty because of it.
Figure out who your ideal customer is and what drives them.
4. Your ears are plugged.
You’ve gotten so self-focused, you can’t even hear your customers
screaming, “Can you help me with my problem?”
You have to become acutely aware of what your audience wants.
Strong brands have perfected the art of listening. They know WHO their
customers are and WHAT they need.
Just ask them, and listen.
Once you hear what they need, you can give them exactly what they want.
And leave them absolutely delighted.
5. You try to do all things for all people.
If you’re trying to please everyone, you’re pleasing no one.
You can’t do all things for all people.
While you’ve been trying, you’ve become a generalist instead of a specialist.
You may be “fine” at a lot of things, but you aren’t an expert in any one area.
If your child had a serious heart problem, would you take her to a pediatrician,
or would you find the best heart surgeon you could? Nuff said.
People chase after the experts.
Focus on what you’re really great at, and become the expert in your niche.
6. You’re not  different.
You’re just like everybody else who does what you do. You blend in.
You’re generic, vague, and uninteresting.
To jump ahead in this economy, you have to be different.
Really, really different.
The new rule: When everybody zigs, zag.-Marty Neumeier  

Differentiation will kick start the engine to your high performance brand.
And it gets you on the fast track to having more people buy more stuff for
more years at a higher price.
7. You’re a coward.
You’re afraid to be yourself, and to take a stand. After all,
you might offend someone. So you stay neutral.
You don’t want to exclude any potential customers.
Or do you?
By being neutral you end up not getting anyone excited about what
you do. Nobody buys from a boring brand.
Give your audience something to agree or disagree with. That’s how
they decide to be your customer, or not.
You’ll magnetically attract those who share your view, and you create stronger
connections with them.
Be a bold, brave brand and stand for something.
What other brand mistakes can you add to this list?

0 comments:

Post a Comment