Marketing Advice
Where to begin
by Bruce Bates Cooperative marketing
Bruce Bates 
Cooperative marketing
Okay I have said time and time again, starting a business online is literally as easy as signup, opt in, and pay. Anyone at all can do it. My 9 year old could do this. This is why I don't teach people how to start businesses and I don't give out advice on starting businesses (unless specifically asked).
Instead I assume everyone has the intelligence to start a business and pick a product they believe in. Its stressed everywhere on the net so I don't need to stress it. My goal is to teach people how to take their business, and make it a success.
There is always one starting place when it comes to business that in my opinion, is a never fail starting place. If you start here and succeed - you WILL succeed in business. If you start here and fail, you WILL fail in business. So where is the starting place?
KNOW YOUR CUSTOMERS
You need to know who you intend to sell your product or service to. It doesn't matter what you are selling. It doesn't make one bit of difference how much or little money you have to spend on advertising. It just doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is knowing your customers.
This is where nearly all your marketing focus belongs, on your customers. You need to learn about the people who buy the products you intend to sell. You need to know where the hardcore product users gather and discuss things, you need to know the age ranges of your customers, you need to know what types of sites they frequent, you need to know if they are tech savvy, you need to know where they shop, what websites they visit, what they eat for food, and basically every last detail you can learn about them.
This makes marketing easy. You know where your customers are, you know who to target, you know how to target them... all this comes from knowing your customer. You know if they are more acceptable to video or textual marketing methods (for example don't try to sell products to linux users with video, they are more likely to read manuals and learn details).
Knowing your customer is everything in this industry.
You will note that I have VERY different marketing methods than that of Harry S. yet we are both equally successful. Why? Because the truth is despite any debates we have or any difference of marketing methods, we both know our customer, and we know where they hang out online and we how to get their attention.
That's what really matters in business. Its not about what you join, its not about what you sell, its not about branding, its not about selling yourself, its not about pictures, its bout knowing your customers!
Any other marketing topic, comes in second to that - because your customers will ALWAYS define your business model and your sales model.
Business 101
Step 1: Know Your Customers
Oct 29th 2012 14:13
Cooperative marketingOkay I have said time and time again, starting a business online is literally as easy as signup, opt in, and pay. Anyone at all can do it. My 9 year old could do this. This is why I don't teach people how to start businesses and I don't give out advice on starting businesses (unless specifically asked).
Instead I assume everyone has the intelligence to start a business and pick a product they believe in. Its stressed everywhere on the net so I don't need to stress it. My goal is to teach people how to take their business, and make it a success.
There is always one starting place when it comes to business that in my opinion, is a never fail starting place. If you start here and succeed - you WILL succeed in business. If you start here and fail, you WILL fail in business. So where is the starting place?
KNOW YOUR CUSTOMERS
You need to know who you intend to sell your product or service to. It doesn't matter what you are selling. It doesn't make one bit of difference how much or little money you have to spend on advertising. It just doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is knowing your customers.
This is where nearly all your marketing focus belongs, on your customers. You need to learn about the people who buy the products you intend to sell. You need to know where the hardcore product users gather and discuss things, you need to know the age ranges of your customers, you need to know what types of sites they frequent, you need to know if they are tech savvy, you need to know where they shop, what websites they visit, what they eat for food, and basically every last detail you can learn about them.
This makes marketing easy. You know where your customers are, you know who to target, you know how to target them... all this comes from knowing your customer. You know if they are more acceptable to video or textual marketing methods (for example don't try to sell products to linux users with video, they are more likely to read manuals and learn details).
Knowing your customer is everything in this industry.
You will note that I have VERY different marketing methods than that of Harry S. yet we are both equally successful. Why? Because the truth is despite any debates we have or any difference of marketing methods, we both know our customer, and we know where they hang out online and we how to get their attention.
That's what really matters in business. Its not about what you join, its not about what you sell, its not about branding, its not about selling yourself, its not about pictures, its bout knowing your customers!
Any other marketing topic, comes in second to that - because your customers will ALWAYS define your business model and your sales model.
Business 101
Step 1: Know Your Customers
Oct 29th 2012 14:13
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Comments
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Trev Pearman
 IM Coach IMMACC mbroh btw... where do we begin.... at the beginning of course...just what is the beginning of success depends on the path a person chooses. Oct 30th 2012 02:37 |
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Otoabasi Umonting
Marketing Consultant & CoachVery insightful write up Bruce. The beginning is always the hardest part for anyone venturing into the business world. Without knowing your customers, you may have the most "amazing" product in the market, but it will just sit on the shelf and gather dust. Putting up surveys to find out what people need is not an uphill task, but strategic way to connect better with your potential customers. Oct 31st 2012 18:41 |
Wow Bruce that was an interesting speel... 1 thing I'm gonna highlight is the opt-in and pay from your opening paragraph. Y'see most people do not want to pay...they are driven to the Internet in a hope of fortune and fulfillment. Out of work and desperatation. Now we both know that totally free methods is a path that will take a very long time (years) to return results. We need promotions of free information just to get them on our own personal list... as one day those prospects will understand they need to buy in to something and we need to be there for them. An autoresponder sequence is great but the newsletters are best for reaching out.
Oct 30th 2012 02:34