Neither was your marriage, your home, or your business. Something of any value takes time, and in most cases, time to succeed. When a business owner opens a business, they developed a plan for success, right? (They should.) They created forecasts of revenue, a timetable to profitability, and tactics to make it happen. After two weeks, two months, or even two years, they didn't panic and pull the plug, did they? Probably not. In fact, if it didn't start off like they planned, they probably went back to their plan and readjusted some numbers and came up with some new ideas to get it back on track.
That is because they were committed to its success!
Then why do most businesses begin to panic two weeks into a marketing campaign, when the doors haven't been blown off the hinges from all of the new customers? Yes, I realize a lot of money is invested, and it kills to see it not working immediately, but it’s important to realize that success takes time.
Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither is a successful marketing campaign.
Here is why it takes time to succeed:
- Consumers are bombarded with 3,000 ad messages a day, and it takes time to break through that clutter.
- Only a sliver of potential customers are in the market on a single day. What are the chances that they all hear or see your marketing message in a short period of time?
- You have competition that has been telling consumers their message for years, so you better give new prospects a good reason to switch or be patient for them to change their habits organically.
- Pavlov's Dog is Dead - consumers no longer hear the "bell" (ads) and come running!
Great! This is not a very uplifting blog post. Is there any good news?
I'm glad that you asked. Yes, there is.
Here are three ways that you can achieve marketing success quicker:
- Be Patient - But, you said this will help us achieve success quicker. Yeah, I did. Here is the deal, it's still going to take some time, so plan for it. That way your expectations will match reality.
For example: SEO. For Google (and other search engines) to find your website and content, and determine whether it's relevant to search queries for your targeted keywords, doesn't happen overnight. It takes time and patience to build an online reputation and to see SEO success.
- Plan for the Long-Term - But, look for ways to score quickly. You will need to build your brand, educate customers, and be true to your identity, but that doesn't mean that you can't look for ways to accelerate new business. Be creative, look for ways to stand out, and give people a reason to come see you.
For example: Evergreen content. Creating and publishing strategic content (like blog posts, eBooks, pillar pages, white papers, and videos) that will be valuable for months, and sometimes even years, to come should not only help your campaigns and goals right now, but also provide opportunities for conversion in the long-term. Therefore, what you put in today will pay off in the future as well.
- Think Like Your Customer - Most likely you're not your primary customer, and even if you are, you are too close to be objective. Step back and think like your customer. What would interest you? What would get you to visit and ultimately purchase?
For example: Target Personas. Have you ever researched and studied your best customers and prospects? Do you actually know what makes them do the things they do, or have you been making assumptions? A fully developed target persona can help to identify who you are marketing to and better understand their needs, challenges, decision-making process, and much more so that you can build a strategy that is effective and based on real research.
These three steps will help you as you begin building and growing your marketing strategy. Some of it may quicken your results, but your ultimate success will depend on connecting with your prospects and building relationships. That takes time. Be patient and don't give up!