New Venture Lab: Equipping Christian Entrepreneurs

Brand Building or Brand Marketing is a popular form of traditional marketing that small business owners often attempt to employ. The only problem with this type of marketing is that it is not effective - at least not for the small business owner. Do you remember saying or hearing one of your business colleagues say, “I got to get my name out there!”? Whether they knew it or not, they were talking about building their brand – making their name familiar with the consumer. Why is it that one of our first instincts is to get our name out there?
 
I’m going to make a bold statement and blame it on big business and the media. Here is a quick test (don’t worry, you can’t fail): What is the first word that comes to mind when you think of the following:
1)      You clean your ears with _________.
2)      Babies wear ____________.
3)      When you’re thirsty for a nice cool drink with a fizz, instead of saying you want a soft drink, you call it a _________.
 
If you are like most people, you answered 1) Q-Tips instead of cotton swabs; 2) Pampers instead of diapers; and 3) Coke instead of soda/pop/soft drink. These are all brand name products whose names have become the product themselves. This is the type of success that all small business owners want. On the other hand, the reality is that this type of success isn’t quickly, easily, or cheaply gained. Big businesses like Coca-Cola and Proctor and Gamble have been pushing their brands to consumers for generations, spending billions of dollars. I would imagine that you don’t have a billion dollars just lying around.
 
Spending your money towards “getting your name out there” is an ineffective use of money. Would it not be smarter to spend your money to get your product and/or service in front of the consumer? Small business owners often employ the wrong strategies in the wrong order when it comes to their marketing. Using traditional marketing strategies that are often used by large corporations is the wrong way to go. The intelligent way to truly build your brand is to use effective direct marketing strategies. Effective brand building starts with effective marketing. Let’s lay the foundation:
 
Define a niche: A niche is a distinct segment of the overall market. Yes, it’s true. You will have to actually figure out who is interested in your products and services. Hint: Your products and/or services are not for everyone. Even if you own and operate a dry cleaning business, figuring what makes your niche tick allows you to 1) create a message that resonates and 2) put your message directly in front of them. If you are going to spend money on your business, the best place is the marketing department. Without customers, you don’t have a business.
 
Go where the niche goes: People are creatures of habit. We tend to do the same thing in the same manner, consistently. Your niche is no different. With all things being equal, the same way that your niche operated for the past 10 years is the same way they will operate for the next 10 years. This is excellent, as it allows you to put your product and/or service in front of them. If your niche has a publication of some sort (hobby magazine, industry specific news sources, club or association newsletters, etc) then advertising your message in their publication is an example of going where they go.
 
Is there an industry that is somehow related to yours? Maybe a complementary product or service? Fishing is a major pastime for many of my brothers at my church. Some are really serious about it. I have come to discover that there are countless publications for fishing enthusiasts. And do you know that the best fish can only be caught offshore, which means you need a boat? Like the countless fishing publications, there are an equal number of boat publications that sellers of fishing equipment could advertise in. Thinking outside of the box, or in this case, outside of your industry, can be very profitable.
 
Use a direct-response strategy: All your efforts of defining your market and getting your message to your market are worthless unless you provide a means for the market to respond (and a reason to respond). Using a direct response method that is easy for your market to take action is essential to the success of your marketing. The choices of direct response methods are numerous, but the best one for your products and/or services depends on your market. Is your market more inclined to respond via the Internet, fax, phone, or mail? Which ever method you choose, it is important to use more than one means of receiving feedback.
 
There are more elements to an effective marketing campaign, but for our purposes, they need not be mentioned here. By using effective marketing strategies to market your products and services to people who are likely interested in them creates an awareness of your “brand” in their minds. These peculiar strategies will allow you to become the Proctor and Gamble of your niche, guaranteed.

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About the Author:

Ralph E. Plaskett is known as the Peculiar Marketing Expert for peculiar people, the go-to resource for action-oriented information where readers can take the words right off the page and put them to work immediately! His effective strategies develop, grow, and expand businesses for Christians. Visit his website at http://www.PushingKingdomBusiness.com