Welcome to video #3 in my Marketing Plan Series. In the first two videos I discussed how to drive traffic to your website, and how to make sure they stay there once they arrive. Today, we’re going to talk about the give and take of marketing.
I talk a great deal about providing value, and sharing your knowledge and expertise freely. In my opinion, this is marketing at its core, and the only strategy I would ever suggest that a client use, or employ myself.
Now you might be thinking, “Bobby, does this mean I just keep sharing my knowledge for free, and never get anything in return?”
To which I would reply “No!”
I say all the time that marketing is about giving, but it’s not charity. There comes a moment when you need to ask for something back.
So when is that moment? Is it when you first meet someone?
“Hi, I’m Bobby. Wanna buy something from me?”
Hopefully you would never do that in person, because it’s rude and kinda creepy. But that’s exactly what many entrepreneurs end up doing online.
You start to build an email list, and then send out endless solicitations.
“It’s OK! They opted in for this!”
No, they opted in because they expected you to provide epic value before asking them for a sale.
Or you join Facebook Groups, and start sharing what YOU do, and how people can hire you. Now we talked about that in the first video in this series, it’s called spam, and everyone hates it. Don’t do it.
But even less obvious is when you create a website that is all about you, your services or product, and how people can buy from you.
Over here is some info about me.
And here we have the great things about my stuff that I sell.
And, ooh, here’s the form to fill out so I can also email all this crap to you.
Your website needs to provide tons of free valuable content so people can learn from you, respect you, begin to trust you, AND buy from you.
So does this mean you should never ask for the sale, or let people know what you do, or how to contact you?
Absolutely not. All I’m saying is there needs to be a realization on your part that marketing is 80% giving, and only 20% asking.
Now on the other side of the coin are the entrepreneurs guilty of the exact opposite. You guys give and give and give but never ask.
Maybe you think people will magically know what you do and that you have some valuable service for sale.
I have a business!
I want to build an audience around my business by providing value to them, and sharing my knowledge and expertise freely.
I know not to spam people with unwanted emails and posts that only serve my interests. No, I’m going to kill them with epic content that they can use to make great improvements in their own lives or businesses.
I’m not really sure when something is considered spammy, so I’ll play it safe, and only hint at my own offerings. I’m confident that my audience is smart enough to realize that I have something for sale that they can buy. I know they will take it upon themselves to seek it out and pay me – -you know – money.
I’ll just sit here and wait for that to start.
Well, then you’re going to be waiting a very long time.
A client and mentor once taught me “if you don’t ask, you don’t get.”
Asking for the sale after you’ve provided value is a vital step in marketing. Do what you can to provide as much value as freely as you can. But don’t forget to make an offer, or ask for a sale about 20% of the time.
On your website, asking takes the form of call to action buttons – ask people to download your resource and get on your list. That’s an exchange.
Ask people to sign up for your program, or buy your thing. Just make sure your website is sharing a lot of valuable content with these calls to action sprinkled in.
Ask people in your Groups to get in touch with you about your upcoming event. But be sure to make a name for yourself first by providing valuable information in that group. Answer people’s questions, get involved in discussions, and then ask.
You’ve got to ask, or you will not get. It’s as simple as that.
