3 Important Marketing Tips For Start-Ups

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A while ago I was invited to give a marketing presentation to a group of entrepreneurs as part of a local jump-start program. 

Here are three takeaways! ⬇️⬇️⬇️

1) Nurture relationships, not wallets!

Rewarding relationships are built on a give-and-take mentality with people who have a range of needs. Organizations can often forget about the give portion. Don’t be that brand.

2) Do not neglect email marketing!

It’s one of the easiest ways to connect with prospects when done correctly. It’s easy to track, segment audiences and provide value to specific desires. Take the time to learn strategies to reach your market.

3) Follow up!

Keeping your brand top of mind through communication (like with interesting emails 😉) is a great way to gain ROI and cultivate relationships. Just remember your brand doesn’t always have to be the topic of conversation.

What an engaging and inspirational group! I’m so grateful they had me. What tips would you give them?

Finding Your Audience: What We Can All Learn From Sheryl Crow

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I used to dream of being a country star.

In the vein of Sheryl Crow, I imagined my name added to my  hometown’s welcome sign: “Birthplace of Cassi, fabulous country singer.”

Sometime before the internet, I admitted this to Dad. “How do I do it?” I asked him. “How do I become Sheryl Crow?”

Dad said, “You have to be discovered. Someone important must find you.”

There were a few things I didn’t understand at this point in my life:

  1.  Someone important isn’t a store cashier.
  2.  Location also matters.
  3.  I couldn’t sing worth a damn.

My shrill voice filled many parking lots in my attempt at being found. My thinking was, “There are people here. Surely one of them will discover me.” And national anthems were never safe from my effort to outsing the performer.

Thankfully, I have grown out of singing loudly where crowds tend to gather.

However, I’ve noticed something else. Many brands are committing the same mistakes I made in terms of promoting their services.

Even if I could carry notes with the depth and elegance of Adele, I wasn’t going anywhere advertising my product in the wrong places. This is the definition of a bad strategy.

If you don’t know, Sheryl Crow got her start teaching elementary music and performing with a band. Through side gigs, she met up with Jay Oliver, who owned a studio in St. Louis. Thanks to Oliver, Crow received a lot of exposure lending her voice to McDonald’s and Toyota jingles.  Eventually, she went on tour as a backing vocalist for Michael Jackson, meeting the right people along the way. The rest is history.

I’m saying it’s time we take a step back and make sure we’re meeting the right people.

Ask yourself

  1.  Am I targeting the appropriate audience?

  2.  Am I reaching them in the right places?

  3.  Is my product/service worth their attention?

Answering these questions honestly will help you leverage your overall business strategy for the results you’re after.

Sidenote: To this day I don’t know any Sheryl Crow songs. Any suggestions?