Читать книгу 99 Marketing Mistakes - Kenyon Blunt - Страница 29

Mistake #22

Blowing Your Budget On One Thing

Entrepreneurs are risk-takers by their very nature. Often, they blow their marketing budget on one thing trying to hit the proverbial home run. It’s the antithesis of what I prescribe in Lean Marketing. My direct marketing background taught me that a series of small, iterative tests is much more efficient than massive campaigns (see mistake #52 for more on testing).

The one trait I see in most small business owners is the desire to grow faster. However, blowing your budget on one thing trying to grow faster is not a good idea. It’s mainly a problem for startups when they have obtained their initial funding and think a big splash will help them get out of the gate.

Single Campaigns Increase Risk

In today’s marketing world, the key to success is frequency and patience. Placing a single ad campaign may help, but it won’t produce any miracles. A better idea is to choose three or four marketing tactics and then test them.

The Magic Number is three. Test three different marketing channels and see which one works. Three channels provide enough diversity without being overwhelming for you on the implementation.

Work on the three channels for about three months and get a good feel for the numbers. Make sure your evaluation is based on the results and return on investment.

Hit Singles – Not Home Runs

In major league baseball, the current strategy is to swing for the fences. It may work in baseball, but it’s not a good idea for marketing. The problem is when you try for a home run every time; you strike out often. Small business owners can’t afford to strike out too many times – there’s not enough money.

Here are some other problems with home runs:

 You’ll get tired faster. Developing a single, big campaign takes a lot of planning and exertion. Small marketing campaigns are more conducive to short bursts of energy.

 You need the experience. Just like the major leagues, you have to start in the minors and work your way up. Experience with several small campaigns will be a great learning experience that you can take to the next level.

 You aren’t prepared to run the bases. You might be so focused on rounding the base paths that you completely forget to step on third base. The same is true on big campaigns – you may miss that one crucial detail that sinks your efforts.

 Overnight success is elusive. Get rich quick schemes and losing weight overnight rarely work. Here’s what the Bible has to say in Proverbs 13:11, Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.