The Web - A First Point of Call

If you have a particular need that you think can be fulfilled by a product or service, the web will most likely be your first port of call.  Where else can you quickly and easily get the information that you need?

Be Visible Online

Even if you provide a local service, your potential customers and clients will often search on the web to find a product or service that provides a solution to a problem.  They will spend time reading up about the services/products that you provide and compare it to other companies using their own specific criteria.  More importantly, they will get an impression of your business and brand that will fill them with confidence and trust to convince them that you are someone to work with.

For retailers, an ecommerce website clearly offers the opportunity to be open 24 hours a day, provide detailed product information and attract an audience that is much larger than a typical bricks and mortar establishment. 

A good example is when a consumer considers buying an electrical item and researches the technical information online before visiting a retail outlet to help with a purchasing decision.   Unfortunately some retailers still manage to lose the sale at the point of purchase but that is beyond the realm of a website. 

Online Retailers

For potential customers, your website might be their only point of contact with your brand so first impressions are important.  Include your contact details such as a telephone number and/or email address and adhere to the Distance Selling Regulations for those retailers based in the UK. 

For businesses that only exist online, a website is the sole outlet for selling products/services so it is even more important.  If you have a generic web address e.g. Abc Enterprises, consider purchasing a new domain (web address) that is explains what you do and is more memorable for potential buyers.  In addition to this, search engines will use the keywords in your domain name as another way to target your website.

Guerrilla Marketing Philosophy

The main obstacles to successful marketing include a lack of commitment, a poor understanding of the benefits associated with what is being sold and poor brand positioning.

All entrepreneurs need to know why someone should buy from them and understand the benefits attached to what they are selling.  A business should also have an identity that is aligned with the prospect’s ideals to encourage a sale. 

Guerrilla Marketing Mindset

Guerrilla marketing philosophy emphasises the need to have a plan to get you from where you are now to where you want to be in the most efficient way.  Many of us have encountered a speculative sales call and bought advertising space that produced no results.  The aim is that you do not waste time by following the well worn path of many entrepreneurs i.e. pay for advertising without really having a strategy in mind. 

Guerrilla Marketing Manfesto System

I have created the Guerrilla Marketing Manifesto ‘Breakthrough Planning System’, to allow you to review your marketing, create an efficient guerrilla marketing plan and then implement it – it is all about taking action.  The guerrilla marketing plan model will give you the chance to hit the ground running and not waste money on aimless marketing activity. 
 
You will be able to create an individualised long term marketing strategy and short term marketing plan to suit your needs and budget.  As you well know, in a competitive environment, ‘business’ enemies are out there of all shapes and sizes trying to sell more, advertise more, and take a bigger share of the market.  You need to step up to the plate.

‘ . . .   the two most important things you should know if you‘re to succeed with guerrilla marketing:  (1) Start with a plan and (2) commit to that plan.  If you do those two things, you’re off to the right start, and you’re primed for success.’ by Jay Conrad Levinson

Guerrilla Marketing Intro

Guerrilla marketing, aimed at small businesses and entrepreneurs, was introduced to the world in the early 70’s by the now legendary Jay Conrad Levinson.

In his international best-selling book, not surprisingly called ‘Guerrilla Marketing’, he outlines how to clearly define a seven step guerrilla marketing plan.  He also lists hundreds of low/no cost marketing ‘weapons’ (tools) which can be used to promote your business.

 
Guerrilla Marketing for SMEs
           
The term ‘Guerrilla’ in this context is a marketing methodology well suited for creative small businesses (SMEs) with smaller budgets.  This is in contrast to ‘traditional’ brand marketing used by big businesses with money to burn.  The Guerrilla marketer has a ‘can-do’ attitude and knows that building trusting relationships and rapport with prospects and customers is at the cornerstone of any successful marketing strategy. 

Using a warfare analogy, the ‘guerrilla’ uses non-traditional techniques to outwit the opposition i.e. by combining a selection of marketing ‘weapons’ to grow profits with a unique array of ideas.  The guerrilla knows that the best battles include surprise attacks so marketing campaign ideas must be ‘out of the box’ – subterfuge at its best! 

Low or No Cost High Impact Marketing Techniques

The guerrilla marketer also knows that marketing must also have a high impact even if it is cost effective.  With technology at the core, the guerrilla marketer understands the psychology of target audiences and knows that communicating with prospects on a regular basis produces more meaningful results over the lifetime of the relationship. 

As a guerrilla marketer you must:

• Have a plan and stick to it.
• Know your market and create a relationship with your target audience.
• Promote the benefits of what you are offering and demonstrate value.
• Use a variety of low or no cost high impact marketing techniques knowing that online tools are essential.
• Operate within a niche - be a big fish in a small pond.
   

Marketing Defined - A Dark Art?

Believe it or not, marketing is not a dark art only perpetrated by ‘those in the know’.   Marketing is often thought to be public relations (PR), sales or advertising – the kind that can be heard on the radio, seen on the TV or read in newspapers and magazines.  Furthermore, many businesses treat sales and marketing as two separate disciplines where the two sides can be in conflict with each other working towards different goals. 

The Marketing Process
In reality, marketing is a process that includes reviewing current trading conditions, setting business growth goals with a marketing strategy and implementing a tactical plan to achieve chosen objectives.  The marketing ‘umbrella’ includes a variety of disciplines where specific tactics or tools are used to promote brand benefits attached to your products and services to a chosen target audience. 

Marketing in the Past
For many entrepreneurs, the foray into the world of marketing is an uncertain one.  In the past, it wasn’t unusual to have a business that was running for some time to generate revenue relatively easily using basic marketing techniques. 

Perhaps the marketing activity was called sales or lead generation but either way revenue is generated.  However, as the economy becomes more competitive and it becomes more difficult to make a sale, you need to establish a strategy and plan to stay in business and a halt potential decline in your revenue.   

Marketing for the Future

It should be said that a marketing plan will not, in its own right, guarantee that your business will be successful.  In the first instance, you must have a pretty good business idea along with a thorough understanding of your market/sector.  Your challenge is then to know how to position yourself in the market to distinguish yourself from your competitors, promote the benefits you offer, fulfil the wants and needs your customers/clients and track the results of what you do. 

Whatever you do to grow your business doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg, but you do need to creatively target the right people with the right information at the right time.Most importantly, you must implement your plan – without putting your ideas in practice you will be dead in the water.