From the mind and experience of Owner, Bethann Tillman
Have you ever gone fishing with a net? Me either. Probably won’t. Instead, I’ll take the smelly spray, something wiggly and chartreuse colored, and snacks. I enjoy a little bass and crappie fishing on the farm. It’s a catch and release situation for me. I’m not about to clean a fish! Do you know what I don’t expect to catch at my parent’s pond? Salmon. Shark. Trout. Why? Because I know what I’m fishing for and I gear up accordingly. See where this is going?
Often, clients ask us to make a business card as a pilot project. Immediately they overthink what to list on it. Our advice is, if someone found your card with no context, would they be compelled to call or visit the link if they were in need of what you have? Use minimal words on the card while communicating who you are, what you do, and how to get in touch. What often ensues is an impossibly long list of every single thing they can or will do. The next advice we give; list what you do well, enjoy and make good money doing. Only list those things. The list gets much shorter and more profitable.
That small example is what happens to our brains when someone asks what we do. Most people short circuit then come up with the perfect answer as they are laying their head on their pillow that night. Before I started BA Marketing & Publicity, I had four jobs that shaped my ability to identify a market and a plan. I think you’ll appreciate the perspective in relation to various types of marketing:
The Clarinda Chamber of Commerce showed me the radical impact of making genuine, informative connections with local professionals and helping each other; team work. Greasy “networking” with awkward asks is a losing strategy. If you make a memorable connection with someone, you quickly figure out how to help each other.
Biblical Application: Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Business-to-business Marketing: Account-based | Word of Mouth Marketing | Conversational Marketing | Inbound Marketing
Directing assisted living facilities, I had a shoestring budget to work miracles explaining differences between assisted living and nursing homes. We got super creative at managing a budget and concise at communicating. We had no excess budget to be anything but clear to our target market: adult children decision-makers and adults needing more help to maintain independence.
Biblical Application: And they will never believe in him if they have not heard about him. And they will not hear about him unless somebody tells God’s message to them. Romans 10:14
Product Marketing | Outbound Marketing | Guerilla Marketing
Volunteering for a mission’s organization in Cameroon, Africa showed me how easily followings grow by telling the story of your organization. If they don’t know, they can’t give. A good cause fundraises itself if you communicate it well (clearly and with quality visuals). There’s great strength in telling a story, using great graphics, and utilizing free platforms (especially to a subscriber list).
Biblical Application: You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. James 4:2-3
Cause Marketing | Social Media Marketing | Email Marketing
Coordinating marketing at a rural hospital made me realize, you can have a massive budget and with no results. Any person making ad or marketing spend decisions falls into the trap that more is more. However, if you spend without focus to your audience or message, it’s money in the wind. When an organization has several points of promotion, get myopic. Divide and conquer. Evaluate your results and adjust your budget accordingly. Sometimes the money spent on the relationship is more important than the direct ROI of the advertising (i.e. Supporting local papers and radio stations), but the entire budget cannot be operated that way.
Biblical Application: Each person should give as they have decided in their heart, not reluctantly or out of compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7
Print Marketing | Direct Mail | Search Engine Marketing | Promotion | Digital Marketing
In short, be specific about who you are trying to “lure” in. Be prepared for the “catch”! And finally, don’t cast a wide net with no plan. Be intentional about what you’re selling and to whom.
✨ Ready to catch the audience you’ve been fishing for? Let’s get started!
BA Marketing & Publicity Call or text us at 712-581-9100
Or visit bamarketingpub.com