What comes to mind when you hear that word? For business owners, I’m sure it conjures up mixed messages. For consumers, I bet it conjures up even more mixed messages! I recently heard someone say that marketing was just a big elaborate scheme that business owners use to make consumers feel insecure for not having their products or services!
And you know, I understand why someone may feel that way. Yes, there are some marketing people who prey on consumers and toy with their emotions and desires. But that is not always the case, especially in today’s high tech world. With internet marketing, the conscious and educated buyers of the world have forced a shift in focus and have turned the tables.
Gone are the days of fast talking salesmen who only care about closing the next deal. The internet has made our world a lot smaller. This change has made the new world of sales less about slick presentations and smooth sales talk and more about being a consumer advocate. That may sound odd at first, but it’s been shown that marketing with the sole intent of boosting sales often ends up doing the complete opposite in the long run. Once a customer realizes they have been duped, or aren’t happy with their product or service, they lose trust.
The truth is, most of us are sick and tired of the over used and manipulative marketing tactics that pressure consumers into thinking their lives are incomplete without their product or service. We all know most of the “crap” they sell doesn’t make us any happier.
We have all seen the health and beauty products that lead us to believe that we will be beautiful if we only used their newest product. Or the car commercials that make you think your social circle will magically grow just because you got the hottest new set of wheels. It’s no wonder people don’t like marketing, If you actually end up buying the products, you usually wind up feeling as if you got ripped off, or the whole product was just an over hyped sales pitch.
But now that consumers have access to the internet at their fingertips, it puts the control back in the hands of the decision makers – The consumer! Don’t get me wrong, there are still people using old school marketing online, but most consumers are shifting into finding websites and resources that are educating them, showing them truths about products and allowing them to get real time feedback from OTHER consumers. This creates a more “safe” buying environment for the consumer and allows them to take back control.
Many companies don’t even need face to face marketing and sales. Ever buy a book on Amazon? You search, click, type, click and wait… And presto!!! Within days, your book(s) are delivered to your door and you never even had to leave your office.
So here is an interesting way to look at it… Once you have removed the barriers and taken away the pressure to buy, what you have left is the consumer and the chance to show them how your product or service can ACTUALLY serve their needs.
The great thing about the internet is we can get our products in front of the people who are LOOKING for our products, instead of trying to get our product in front of people who may or may not be looking at all. A customer hops on their computer, does a quick online search for antique milk jugs, and bam! The interweb spits out websites that are selling antique milk jugs. No more flipping through a catalog of useless crap when the consumer just wanted to see antique milk jugs! And your sales “pitch”?! You accentuate the positives by providing KNOWLEDGE BASED CONTENT that helps them understand if your product or service is the right fit or not.
Those who know me know I am a big proponent of niche marketing. The more consumer-centric your business is and the more targeted it is, the better the results will be. In the past, sales and marketing’s job was to try and disarm the consumer of any objections, and rush them into a purchase (even if they regret it later). And THIS is what consumers have developed as their view of marketing. It’s no wonder they have negative feelings about it. But if you consciously put your customers first you will likely see a much better return in the long run. And heck, you might even get yourself come repeat customers and referrals!
With sooooo many choices these days, consumer expectations are high and they will keep searching until they find what it is that they are looking for. It’s empowering to a consumer when they are the ones making a knowledgeable purchase and they feel comfortable with their decision.
With Internet marketing the consumer is in control. Has your marketing changed to match the new consumers?
If you ignore this new truth, your business will not forget it!
To you and your success,
Ryan Smith -Chief Content Creator