Do you like numbers or would you rather have substance? There is a ton of chatter online about what is in style or what kind of marketing needs to be tried next. The sheer hype and collective desire to make the latest social media attempt or mobile app become the hit of the month can muddy the waters on what works when it comes to winning new customers.
If you have tried the different fads, then you know what I am talking about. The hype seems to outshine the results. It’s not uncommon to hear about getting thousands of clicks but only see a few sales. This is often tried by people who like to throw paint against a wall and see what sticks. It is far less strategic than building a true asset that continues to produce over time.
When people are seeking to solve real business problems they don’t mindlessly jump into a buying decision. They don’t like to be sold either, whether by a fancy website or by a salesperson.
Furthermore, most of the people that will do business with you will not sign up immediately, regardless of how strong of a pitch you have. They need time to make a decision and trust you. They need to get to know you to feel comfortable.
The Real Marketing Narrative
If I told you that unless there is high pain, people generally take their time and don’t like to change their minds, would you believe me? If you have tried desperately to change someone’s mind, you know that a mind is a difficult, if not impossible, thing to change when someone has taken a position.
Usually, a compelling idea has to be presented. Then it has to be nurtured so that a person can get used to the new perspective. If you push too hard, it is too easy for a person to dig their heels in or avoid the discomfort of changing.
But if the idea starts and they start noticing that what you are saying makes sense compared to their reality, then you are engaging their thoughts.
This is how buying happens. People ruminate and entertain something that is different than what they were thinking. We see it happening all of the time with our marketing clients. Buyers come forward after spending a lot of time reading. They engage with content that they are interested in and may do this over a period of months. Sometimes they are researching. Other times, it is sporadic navigation to get familiar with industry topics.
This is why frequency is so important. Having world-class content that stands out from the noise and actually says something compelling is hard to do consistently. But it is what works on the mind of the buyer. It influences their thinking and helps them to emotionally validate a new decision that they are becoming more comfortable with.
The reality is that your pipeline is unseen much of the time. The people that are engaging with your content apart from having any actual conversations or meetings with you are further up the funnel. They move down the buying funnel as their mind is changing.
If you patiently build the right systems and process and commit to being the best in your domain, then you can tap into real interactions. You build relationship and trust with credibility.
It’s the harder, real way of building and growing your business apart from shortcuts and fads. But with all the noise out there, do you have much of a choice? We are all skeptical of the gimmicks. This is why someone in your industry that is real and substantive can stand apart easily in the mind of the buyer.
If you find that your marketing strategies seem disjointed or worn out, what holds you back from building something that lasts?
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