It pays to be creative. The more creative your message is, the more memorable it will be. The more memorable it is, in a positive way, the better your chance of making a sale. Here’s one Follis example: 
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Don’t confuse marketing with selling. In the B2B world, the job of a sales force is to sell, sell, sell. They work on commission so the more they sell, the more they make. Problem is, that no matter how smooth or sexy they do that, most prospects know they’re being sold. And, they have good reason to question if a sales person truly cares if the product or service they’re selling is really right for the prospect’s business. It’s an inherently faulty dynamic.
The job of marketing is to inform prospects in way that lets them come to their own decision. Done right, it grabs a prospect’s attention in a positive way, and then informs persuasively once it does. Bottom line: The better you market your product, the less you have to try to sell it.
“Expert advice.” — Andrew Mede / NY, NY
“Cogent, sage, essential.” — Barry Malvin, Pres./Internet Solutions, NY, NY
“A tremendous kick in the butt.” — Joanne Meurer, ID Inc. NY, NY
Don’t confuse “marketing” with “advertising”. Some people hear the word “marketing” and think “advertising.” Not the same thing. And to grow your business you must understand the difference.
Traditional “advertising” is about paying for traditional media exposure via newspapers, magazines, Yellow Pages, radio, TV, billboards, etc. It’s generally designed to reach a broad audience and the ad/media costs will reflect that. For many products and services advertising works great if it’s done right.
“Marketing” is a broader term that involves any possible way to get your message out. That includes PR, direct mail, your logo and tagline, personal networking, giving talks and writing articles, and many non-traditional and online strategies like having an effective website, sending out email newsletters and promotions, buying Google Adwords, pay-per-click, SEO, and using “social media” like blogs and podcasts.
Effective marketing includes the right mix of traditional advertising and non-traditional online strategies.
You can’t expect to do it yourself and do it well. I don’t know why some business owners still challenge that idea. Then again, maybe I do. Because it doesn’t seem like it should be that hard a thing to do. After all, it’s your business, right? So, when they try something and it doesn’t work, they simply conclude that marketing doesn’t work. It doesn’t occur to them that their marketing strategy is off base, or that they’re not really targeting the right audience, or that their creative excecution or production value is horrible, or that their website and/or online strategy sucks, or any number of other things that they’re not aware of because 1) it is their business and they don’t have the necessary objectivity, and 2) they don’t have the marketing expertise.
Businesses that are most successful, hire the best lawyer when they legal help, the best insurance person when they need insurance help, the best CPA when they need tax help, and the best marketing resource when they need marketing help.
