Are you seeing the Grail?
To wander—perhaps aimlessly, as would a nomad? Or to root in one place and forever wonder what else is out there?
When it comes to their marketing messages many small business owners and entrepreneurs think
those are the only choices they have: one or the other. They’ll often say: “I don’t need a new message,
I just need new customers! Bring ‘em in and I’ll sell ‘em!”
Does this remind you of anyone you know? It does for me and I despair, truly I do. For years I’ve been
saying the same thing, the same, drip, drip, drip against the granite of what is all too often marketing
blindness: it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it, who you say it to, when you say it, the offer you’re
providing, and how often you say it or provide it.
It might be just one drip, drip, drip. But all those drips added together? They form a tiny trickle. Given time, that trickle forms a gurgling spring. Given more time and more gravity, that spring becomes a modest stream, then a modest creek, and eventually an ever widening, wonderfully navigable river.
When a message wanders, when it becomes nomadic, it sets up a trail of mental breadcrumbs, a trail that customers and clients are expected to follow. The problem with this is that for the recipient of the message, the breadcrumbs frequently get eaten, crushed underfoot, or are simply missed in the thicket of other people’s messages. When the trail gets lost (or worse, if it just stops or disappears in the middle of nowhere), the reader is then lost, often with no point of reference.
What does this mean?
Now yes, nomadic messages can offer seasonal regularity—Summer sales,— Black Friday after Thanksgiving and so on. But are these kinds of messages the best use of time, money, and ad space? Do they set up enough of a connection in the mind of your customer? Or might there be a danger of the narrative being too far apart? The answer to this depends on the depth of the relationship.
Here’s an example. I’ve known Matt Whelan** in England since 1982, when we met at college as spotty 19 year olds (save your fingers and breath trying to figure out how old I am. I’m 45. At least, I am for another month).
Since then we’ve been in touch on and off—both living different lives, both doing the best we can—but even now, we can (and frequently do) continue conversations we had, or that we left off on ten years ago. Or even longer ago than that.
Do you know a friend with whom you have this kind of relationship? if you do, and if that friend is also a customer, nomadic messages have greater relevance. But if you don’t have this kind of relationship with your customer and you rely on nomadic messages you’re in danger of your customer losing sight of you.
Or worse, of them forgetting all about you!
Off they wander in search of some other trail. See them? There’s no use shouting after them. They’ve forgotten about you, remember? And of they stroll for some other message that they can follow—perhaps because as a message, as a trail, it’s more clearly defined. The problem here is that the breadcrumb dropper (might this be you?) is often blissfully unaware that no one’s following them until sales begin to drop off.
Or dry up.
And what’s the common response to this? To pray for rain.
But here, alas, praying won’t do a lot of good old sport. Sorry about this but I’m afraid it’s true. So what’s the answer? Well, I hate to tell you this, but often, it means you’ve to get out and dance yourself up some rain clouds!
How? By changing your message.
Then there’s the “rooted in one place” marketer. You know the sort: deeply rooted messages, solid foundations. Immobile. Steadfast. Eternal. But for many people, this also translates into a tone they tune out. What they hear is
“same old, same old”. What they perceive is dull, predictable, and even, God forbid, boring.
Might this be your message? Pah! The very thought! You’re not dull, boring, or lifeless … are you?
Well, you may not think you are. But for your customers? Well, there might be a different story. If business is down, or level, or barely making a dent on your plans for expansion—and those are plans mind you, not goals, there’s a difference: there’s no point in having goals if you’re not prepared to kick the ball and score, now is there? So this means taking action. In turn, action means having a plan and sticking to it. But that’s a topic for another day.
Let’s get back to the solidly rooted marketer and keeping up with planned results.
If you’re seeing static return on your marketing investment, might it be time for you to re-evalutate what it is you’re saying, what it is you’re offering, and who you’re saying it to and offering it to. Just because you think your message is right on the money, it doesn’t always follow suit that it’s a relevant message for your prospects and customers.
So whether you’re a nomad or a stalwart, what’s the answer? Where’s the Grail you’re seeking? You’ve just read the answer. Didn’t you see it?
Perhaps that’s why the Grail’s remained hidden for so long: because it’s so often right there in front of us every day. All we have to do is make a decision to see it and to reach for it.
How wisely will you choose?
**And yes, Matt Whelan is a real person. You can find him on my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/GaryBloomer
