Small Business Marketing Articles...

Are You Suffering From Marketing Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)?

Recently I met with a prospect to explore our working together. When he booked the appointment he said, "I really need to come see you because I do a lot of marketing, but none of it ever works."

As we sat and talked, he spent the next 30 minutes going through all of the marketing activities he currently does (and had been doing) for his small business.

Yep, he was right. He does a LOT of marketing...

Brochures, postcards, mailers, Value Paks, referral cards, coupons, referral incentives, refrigerator magnets, a web site, Yellow Page advertising, direct mail campaigns, sales

letters, bumper stickers, t-shirts, and on, and on, and on.

Whew.

I was exhausted. I even developed a headache, by trying to keep up with all of the multitudes of things he does to market himself.

Finally, he asked me, "So...what do you think? I'm doing all this stuff, but nothing's working. What's the problem?"

I gently leaned forward, over the mass pile of postcards, papers and other marketing items, and said, "My friend, the problem is...you're suffering from Marketing Attention Deficit Disorder! You've got Marketing ADD!"

Sure, he's marketing his business...marketing it all over the place.

He isn't focused on anything. He is doing everything. And in doing everything, essentially, he is marketing his small business like a hyper-active-ADD-suffering-4-year-old tanked up on caffeine, sugar and too much Kool Aid.

My prospect suffers from Marketing ADD!

So, the question is...

Are you suffering from Marketing ADD too?

If so, it's time to take a pill and focus your efforts or no matter how much marketing you do, it will not work.

Marketing ADD looks like this....

Create a flyer.

Send out the flyer.

Didn't get much response...

So create a postcard.

Send out the postcard.

Didn't get much response...

So find a networking event to attend.

Attend networking event.

Didn't get much response...

So create an ad.

Run the ad.

Didn't get much response...

So create a brochure.

Mail out the brochure.

Didn't get much response...

Ugg. My head hurts. Does yours? It should.

If this sounds familiar, then you are suffering from Marketing ADD.

No focus.

No direction.

No plan.

Just stuff, stuff, stuff.

Bouncing around, bouncing around, bouncing around...

Marketing ADD and it will not and does not work.

The best pill to "cure" your Marketing ADD is what I call Strategic Diversification.

Quite simply, strategic diversification is choosing between 3 and 6 marketing activities to focus on. And that's it. No less than 3 and no more than 6.

By Jeanna Pool
©2008 CATALYST creative, inc.
All rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeanna Pool is an author, speaker and marketing consultant. She helps small business owners attract more clients on a consistent basis. Visit Jeanna’s web site at http://www.MarketingThatWorks.com for marketing resources, tips and strategies to help you attract all the clients you want and can handle.

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