Small biz owners feel compelled to drink from the fire hose of marketing ideas all the time. And who can blame you? With so much coming at you, it’s hard to pick which tactic is going to work. Why not try them all and see what sticks? What’s the harm?  The harm is in that drinking from the fire hose is that it doesn’t give you a chance to drink.  It only causes you to drown in a chaotic sea of marketing tactics.

So what’s a business owner to do when visited by sales people promising a #1 position on Google searches? Get a filter.  If you have a filter, now you can drink from the fire hose by slowing down the stream.  One way to filter tactics is to think in terms of the customer buying experience.  

The Marketing Hourglass is a simple way of looking at the stages a customer goes through when making a purchasing decision.  The stages in the hourglass go from Know, Like, Trust, Try, Buy, Repeat, Refer.  The Hourglass extends the traditional sales funnel beyond the “Buy” stage and the entire concept takes into account the customer’s touch points with your company.  At each step, you can choose a tactic which achieves the objective.  For example, the step for “Know” can be as simple as a direct mail postcard.  Other tactics fit the rest of the steps continuing on to the last steps of Repeat and Refer.  The infographic in this post gives more details on the Marketing Hourglass.  (Psst… Click it to view it larger.)

If the marketing tactic you’re considering does not support any of these steps, chances are it is not a good fit for your business.  That’s not to say that things can’t change later on, but without an overall plan it is hard to see whether it will help you move forward in your marketing.  By following the Hourglass, you are setting up a nice easy filter to test whether a tactic makes sense.  If a tactic isn’t adding to an excellent and complete customer experience, you know not to waste money on it.   Now you don’t have to chase every shiny object that comes across your desk and you can sip from the fire hose at a comfortable pace. 

(Davie, FL) February 1, 2012  – Duct Tape Marketing Consultants, Paul Davis and Rosie Taylor invite small business owners to learn about an innovative group consulting program by joining a free Discovery Call on Friday, February 24, 2012.   Davis and Taylor will be facilitating the virtual Group Catalyst program using a brand new online platform to help business owners install a step-by-step marketing system into their business.

The core philosophy of “Strategy before Tactics” enables businesses to focus their marketing efforts into an effective process.  Treating marketing as a process provides far more predictable consistent results versus treating marketing as one-time events or randomly trying the new tactic of the week.  The Group Catalyst takes small business owners through ten online modules which include a comprehensive resource library of videos, documents and links to other online sources.  Each live Catalyst session will be facilitated by Davis and Taylor, experts in small business marketing to help each participant be accountable and accomplish the necessary tasks to establish the Duct Tape Marketing system as a process into their business operations.

Group participants will get expert assistance to install a predictable, repeatable system of marketing into their business saving both time and money and the satisfaction of creating a strategic marketing plan.

Small business owners frustrated with their current marketing efforts can register for the free Discovery call by visiting www.buildastrategy.com .

About Paul Davis and Rosie Taylor:

Paul Davis, MBA has a professional background in sales and marketing spanning 30 years.  His credentials include an MBA with a focus in Marketing and he is an Authorized Duct Tape Marketing Consultant.  Davis operates Next Step Marketing (www.nx-step.com) in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Rosie Taylor has a professional background in public affairs and internet technology covering the last twenty years.  Her credentials include a BS in Business and Information Systems, a Certificate in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts and she is also an Authorized Duct Tape Marketing Consultant.  Taylor operates Rosiemedia (www.rosiemedia.com) in Davie, Florida.

Both consultants offer unique perspectives on marketing based on the core principles of the Duct Tape Marketing giving their clients a wide-ranging consulting experience.

International Business Times recently wrote a great article regarding small business marketing ideas and tips.  Its a great article and discussion with marketing guru John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing.  Here is the link to the article. IBTimes Article – Small Business Marketing Ideas & Tips

(Davie, FL) January 4, 2012 – Duct Tape Marketing Consultants, Paul Davis and Rosie Taylor invite small business owners to learn about an innovative group consulting program by joining a free Discovery Call on Monday, January 16, 2012.   Davis and Taylor will be facilitating the virtual Group Catalyst program using a combination of webinar sessions and the proven Ultimate Marketing System package to help business owners install a step-by-step marketing into their business.

The core philosophy of “Strategy before Tactics” enables businesses to focus their marketing efforts into an effective process.  Treating marketing as a process provides far more predictable consistent results versus treating marketing as one-time events or randomly trying the new tactic of the week.  The Group Catalyst takes small business owners through ten modules which are the core of the Ultimate Marketing System developed from over 20 years of helping small businesses.  Each live Catalyst session will be facilitated by Davis and Taylor, experts in small business marketing to help each participant be accountable and accomplish the necessary tasks to establish the Duct Tape Marketing system as a process into their business operations.
Small business owners who are frustrated by their current marketing efforts can register for the Discovery Call by visiting www.buildastrategy.com. 

About Paul Davis and Rosie Taylor:
Paul Davis, MBA has a professional background in sales and marketing spanning 30 years.  His credentials include an MBA with a focus in Marketing and he is an Authorized Duct Tape Marketing Consultant.  Davis operates Next Step Marketing (www.nx-step.com) in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Rosie Taylor has a professional background in public affairs and internet technology covering the last twenty years.  Her credentials include a BS in Business and Information Systems, a Certificate in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts and she is also an Authorized Duct Tape Marketing Consultant.  Taylor operates Rosiemedia (www.rosiemedia.com) in Davie, Florida.

Both consultants offer unique perspectives on marketing based on the core principles of the Duct Tape Marketing giving their clients a wide-ranging consulting experience.

I have clients who would run various marketing campaigns without thinking about their message, delivery process and content.  They wasted their time and money on useless marketing programs with no process to benchmark their effectiveness or success. Their marketing failed because they had no plan or strategy behind their messaging.

To keep my marketing programs on track I use a marketing calendar.  It’s not like a traditional calendar full of dates and notes. The focus of my marketing calendar is on tracking marketing tactics, messages and content. It keeps me accountable for what I’m doing so I’m not just launching haphazard campaigns in my efforts to build “know, like and trust”.

To keep it simple, I urge new clients to pick a monthly or quarterly time period.  If you try to do too much all at once, the task becomes too daunting. For example, I am currently using a drip mail campaign regarding the 7 Step for Small Business Marketing Success.  It’s simple and each month I have a targeted list of potential clients who I send one step per month for 7 months as a direct mail program. 

Now it gets fun! I do the same for my email drip, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter accounts.  This is a great example of how I use my marketing calendar to post relevant content and reuse this content in all areas of social media providing a consistent message.  I use this approach for the programs I plan throughout the year and include advertising, direct mail, public relations and other tactics to support each effort.

Creating a calendar offers a systematic approach to my marketing and it’s easy to manage and execute.  There are target dates and I review my marketing calendar every week in order to work ahead and stay on track. A well planned calendar can provide a quick and easy to understand system to support your small business marketing programs and build “know, like and trust”.

2012 is right around the corner.  So when you begin the process of developing a comprehensive marketing strategy for your small business remember to keep your target market in mind. Deploying appropriate marketing tactics based on that strategy is key to business success. Make sure your marketing efforts and content are valuable to your customers or clients. This is the best way to build “know, like and trust”.  Lastly, to manage your efforts and keep yourself on track, keep up with your marketing programs by making use of a marketing calendar.  Good luck and good marketing in 2012.  

When planning for the next year, I review, repurpose and create new content and marketing tactics.  Tactics define the specifics around “what” you will do to implement your marketing strategy.  The primary goal of marketing is to build “know, like and trust” with my target clients.  Old washed up tactics and materials will not serve you well.  Even Napoleon Bonaparte knew enough to keep his tactics fresh, “One must change one’s tactics if one wishes to maintain one’s superiority.” To achieve this goal you must deploy the correct tactics based on a strategy aimed at your ideal target market.  Customers today don’t want to be sold they want to be educated about products or services. Websites, newsletters and social media portals are great tools to build “know, like and trust” with your target market and even develop reach beyond that immediate goal. Thus tactics should take on an educational approach to building “know, like and trust”. Listed below are a few tactical options to consider. 

• Know – Whitepaper articles, media content that educates clients on the products or services being offered and, finally, referrals from past clients or customers. The primary goal is for the client to begin to know who you are and what services or products you provide.
  
• Like – Websites and monthly newsletters are a great way to build “like” with your target audience. Educate don’t dictate! These are two excellent ways to get your information out there and educate potential clients about your products and services. Websites and monthly newsletters provide a great way to consistently contact your clients and build a loyal following. When that information is deemed valuable, it is shared and your reach can go beyond your initial target. This continues to build both know and like.
  
• Trust – Marketing kits, sales presentations and free reports are also great tactics to build “trust”. Materials of this nature should be filled with company information, history, case studies and more.

These tools, in conjunction with everything else I’ve discussed, build to be very strong and useful tactics.  The next step is to organize your tactics on a Marketing Calendar to make sure your efforts are well coordinated in the market. 

My name is Paul Davis, MBA and I own NextStep Marketing, a Charlotte based marketing consultancy focused on helping small and medium sized businesses.  My professional background spans 30 years in sales and marketing. I am a certified Duct Tape Marketing Consultant. At NextStep Marketing, we place an emphasis on strategy by helping clients identify core values, key messages, establish measurable goals and develop a plan.

I will share marketing strategy insights in a three-part blog to help you prepare your small business for success in 2012. I can be reached via email at  pdavis@nx-step.com or by telephone at (704) 421-8353. 

As a marketing consultant I am often asked how I manage the complexities of running a business, deal with employees, clients and manage my marketing programs. How do I manage networking, social media, and advertising and still find time to manage my business? It’s not easy!

My focus is goal centered and is always based on future sales growth and revenue projections. Once I’ve established my revenue projections, I focus on marketing strategy, tactics and development of a marketing calendar to keep my business on track for the new year.

This proven approach has consistently worked for my business and for my clients.  Beginning this week I will share some specific points on marketing strategy, tactics and effective planning that will help you position your small business for success in 2012. We’ll begin where I suggest all business owners start – with strategy.

Part 1:  Strategy

As Sun Tzu said in The Art of War,” All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved.” I like this quote because it places strategy as the key component to winning a battle. Marketing strategy often times is invisible to prospects and clients yet it drives business forward. In the words of John Jantsch, “a marketing strategy is a clear explanation of how you’re going to get there not where or what ‘there’ is.” It’s important to note, becoming a market leader or to double your customers in the coming year are not strategies but simply stated goals and objectives.

I start my strategic review with a review of my ideal target market and client. I ask the following series of questions of myself as well as my clients. My goal is to insure that my strategy is still focused on my ideal target market. For example:

• How has my target market changed in the past year?
• What are the common characteristics of my ideal client and target market?
• Did I add new products or programs that may have expanded my ideal target audience? 
• Geographically do I need to expand or contract my target market in order to meet customer needs?
• What issues concern my target market?
• What challenges do they face?
• How can my business meet their needs and solve their concerns?
• My key differentiators, how have they changed and am I articulating this difference in my materials and messaging? Keep in mind that better isn’t better unless it’s different.

I finish my strategic review with a thorough review of my current clients. In tough economic times it’s easy to take on new business that may not fit my vision of the ideal target market due to financial concerns. Many times these businesses are not profitable and they consume too many resources and too much time. I use a simple rating scale (1 to 5) to determine where each client fits in my ideal target market. Finally, I determine how I’m going to transition out those clients that don’t fit my ideal target market and client base.  I may elect to keep some of these clients if I feel confident I can develop a strategy and system that will move them forward in their business and up on my scale to become ideal client.

Once you have defined your strategy, you can focus on defining tactics that work.

Paul Davis of NextStep Marketing will be featured on this week’s edition of Charlotte Small Business Spotlight. The show will air on Friday Dec. 9th at 630am on WJZY TV.  NextStep Marketing, LLC is a sales, marketing, and new business development consulting firm. At NextStep our focus has always been to help our clients grow their top line through greater market penetration, increased market exposure, and improved sales performance.

Guest Blogger:  Helen Davis   NextStep Marketing, LLC


According to author Patsy Stone “you can never have too many hats, gloves and shoes”. I don’t know about gloves but, in today’s world, it seems we are all wearing more hats.  The shoes thing is a topic all in itself. LOL. But, back to the hats.  I Googled the subject “entrepreneurs wearing more hats”. The search came back with 3,070,000 results. Clearly I am not alone in my thinking that we are all wearing more hats these days. If you are a baby boomer, you’re wearing more hats in the work world and as part of the sandwich generation you’re wearing more hats at home as well. The question then becomes how do we manage all the hats we are wearing? If only one of the hats came with a crystal ball!

One of the biggest struggles is time – there is never enough of it. As an entrepreneur, we usually fall into bed thinking of all the things we didn’t get done and all of the things that we need to tackle tomorrow. And the cliché “work smarter, not harder” really offers no help. The biggest struggle of all is that we are so busy working in our business, there is no time to work on our business. Realizing that it can be difficult since we are wearing so many hats that require us to suddenly be experts in areas we hadn’t necessarily considered. “Entrepreneurs have to be good at many things: The “product,” the pitch, the sale, the operations and the strategic, long-term view.” Lea Strickland, Experience Is No Guarantee for Entrepreneur, thestreet.com. We simply move forward with an idea that seems viable; that seems to fill a void so we get to work. Sometimes there’s a business plan but, more often than not, there isn’t. Even if there is a plan, the reality is usually very different from expectations. And whether you have a plan or not, the reality of starting your own business can be daunting. The best laid plans offer no guarantees. According to a CNN Money article, “Across the United State, small business failure rates rose 40% between 2007 and 2010” Catherine Ford, States with Worst Business Failure Rates, Money.CNN.com.

So how do we succeed then? The key is to not get mired down in the reality of day-to-day “must dos”. Remove yourself from react mode and shift to pro-act mode. Set time aside to assess your reality from your perception. Is your business going in the direction you intended? Or has it moved in a direction you didn’t expect? Are you okay with that? If not, what do you need to do to get your plan back on track? Look at the big picture first and decide which direction you need to move toward as your overall goal. When you can see the big picture, then you can begin the process of creating a strategy. “A strategic plan is the key to stay focused on your goals and objectives” Lynn Brown, Social Media Marketing Coach, Blogging Strategist & Linkedin Marketing Manager for Your Online Business Success! San Luis Obisbo, CA. The strategy must come before the tactics. Tactics are great but, without a strategy, they are purposeless. Tactics are a reaction to the “must dos”. While it’s not easy to step back and take the time, it just might be the best business decision you ever make! It’s something we all have to do from time to time.

- Helen Davis

Are you tired of banging your head against the wall and watching your business slowly sink into the sunset? Then stop with the tactics! What your business needs is a marketing strategy not another tactic of the week. Heres what others have to say about strategy before tactics. 

• Peter Ross, Senior Consultant at Capgemini in Charlotte, NC, who says “objectives and strategy are essential before implementing tactics.  Determining the strategies will help achieve the objectives - break down the strategies into actionable steps (tactics) that will get you there. This approach allows you to assign "owners", track progress, and measure success - all while helping to make certain tactics remain in support of objectives and strategies.”
• “Without strategic plans you are doomed to fail.” Chris Craven, Sr. Business Development professional, experience in medical device sales, sports marketing, and event management, Charlotte, NC.
• “Clearly defined objectives are essential to developing effective strategy”. Bill Piersol - Owner/President Performance Initiatives, Inc (Apartment readiness company), Charlotte, NC.
• “A strategic plan is the key is to stay focused on your goals and objectives.” Lynn Brown, Social Media Marketing Coach, Blogging Strategist & Linkedin Marketing Manager for Your Online Business Success! San Luis Obisbo, CA. 
• Finally, Michael Oddi, Chief Marketing Officer at KSL Media in LA, advised that we consider the perspective presented by Seth Godin in his book, Poke the Box, "Sometimes companies suffer from planning overload and never implement their strategy. The most successful companies are driven by individuals who aren't afraid to push the go button.

                                          What's your strategy?  Need help...Give us a call!
                                                                       Paul Davis
                                                                      Rosie Taylor


”Written By: Paul Davis/NextStep Marketing, Alan Adler/Alan Adler Associates