Whenever I drive by the main county courthouse where I live, there is always a man standing by the road holding up handwritten posters covered with political messages. No matter the temperature or the weather, he’s out there displaying up his signs. He reminds me of the old street peddlers who used to stand on the corner, waving their hands, and shouting at people as they pass by.
As I view the scene from my car, I can’t help but notice the guy’s persistence. He shows up every day and stands there for hours. However, there’s a flaw with his approach. I can barely read anything on his signs and his message isn’t relevant to anything in my life. Whenever I see him, I regard his work ethic. But, I drive right by and never acknowledge his message. It’s a lot of wasted effort that fails to move me – much less the hundreds of other cars at the intersection. He’s working hard, but he’s not working smart.
Is your marketing like this man on the street corner? Here’s how to tell:
- Is your advertising clearly relevant to the customer’s life or felt needs?
- If you write books, does your marketing copy explain “What’s in it for me?”
- Do you send newsletters about yourself or fill them with value for the reader?
- Does your marketing rely too much on emotion without including sound logic?
The best marketing strategy is a combination of persistent effort, emotion, and value that is relevant to people’s lives. You can work as hard as you want. But, if you’re irrelevant, you will ultimately be ignored – just like the guy standing on the corner.
