When our kids were young the whole family was immersed in America’s pastime—baseball. Over those ten years, I coached dozens of Cooperstown wannabes. What interest me are the conversations we had at the baseball field versus those I have when speaking to a business prospect.
Not one of the players ever asked me, “How do I hit a home run?” The question was the same from every player, “Is it my turn to bat?” They instinctively knew it would take loads of practice, foul tips, strikeouts and ground balls before they hit one over the outfield fence.
Somehow that reasoning process has eluded many business owners. While explaining the marketing process to business owners: setting goals, identifying target audiences, choosing the right tactics and listing some solid metrics, I’m continually interrupted by owners who say “So, that’s all great, but how do I hit a home run?”
Whether hitting a home run or generating leads for a business it’s going to take practice, trial and error along with lots of patience. Think about all the moving parts in any successful marketing campaign. There are: goals to set, the right vehicle (website, blog, social media, webinar, et al.) has to be chosen, a compelling message has to be constructed, and the collateral pieces (email, video, white paper, case study) need to be designed and built. Next the marketing piece needs to be sent to the right audience, at just the right time and the prospect has to take the appropriate action. Finally, the deal needs closing.
There are a lot of moving parts in any marketing campaign, some within one’s control and some outside their charge.
Developing a successful marketing campaign takes planning, know-how, execution, consistency, management, trial and error, fine-tuning, and follow up.
Take the time to prototype a marketing approach, checking the metrics, until you have success within your sights. Then ramp things up and watch success role in.
Play ball!
