By Todd Woods-CEO Guerrilla Marketing Strategies
You've undoubtedly heard the term “get your endorphins going” before. Well, me too, but it wasn't until recently that I realized how endorphins come into play with our marketing. I am currently training to run a half marathon, just over 13 miles. In my training, I currently run between 3 to 7 miles each run. A few nights ago it was time for the seven mile run. As I started running I could feel each and every stride throughout my entire body. It was painful. I felt like an old rusted, beaten up sedan; even breathing was difficult, I seemed to be winded from the very beginning of my workout.
Now, if you have ever exercised before, which undoubtedly you have, you know what I'm talking about. Toward the beginning of any workout the body is stiff, and slow to react unless you warm up first. I have realized through my training that the first few miles are always the toughest. I have the same challenges each time. If I can make it past the first 2 miles in my run, it tends to get much easier. Those are the endorphins kicking in. The dictionary defines endorphin as “a group of endogenous peptides found in the brain that bind chiefly to opiate receptors and produce some pharmacological effects (as pain relief) like those of opiates.” As you exercise, your body releases these endorphins to the brain. Exercise serves to expand the body's overall energy production capacity, clearly strengthening one's potential to expend physical, mental, and emotional energy; this translates into being able to work longer, recover faster, and have more energy available for coping and solving problems.
By mile three, my endorphins kicked in and my body started to really hum. My legs felt like well oiled wheels turning and turning in a solid, smooth rhythm. My endorphins had indeed “kicked in.” Miles three, four, and five seemed much easier than the first two, although I had been running for over fifteen minutes at this point. It felt great. My breathing was under control and I felt invincible.
Marketing can serve as “endorphins” in your business. In fact, I created a new word I call “marketdorphins.” Over the many years I have spent owning and operating my own businesses and consulting for others, I have found that most people have a hard time getting to the point where their “marketdorphins” kick in. In other words, I have found that business owners know they should market and market more effectively but for several reasons have a hard time getting started. It's tough to get into the rhythm of marketing, but once you do, it becomes easier and easier.
Marketing should be looked at as exercising. As hard as it is, and as much as we may not want to have to do it, it is absolutely critical to keep our body and mind in top shape. Marketing is to your business what exercise is for your mind and body; it must be done, and not just once or twice. Just like exercise should be a part of your everyday life, so should marketing be a part of your everyday business if you are to really succeed.
Here are some things you can do to get your marketdorphins to kick in.
Learn more about marketing . Marketing for some people can be overwhelming and intimidating. Take the mystique away from marketing by learning more about it. The more you understand marketing and how to market effectively, the more successful you will be at marketing your business.
Develop and use a marketing plan. When it comes to marketing plans, companies generally fall into one of four categories; 1- They have a plan but don't use it, 2--They have a plan and use it only occasionally, 3- They don't have a plan at all, or 4- They have a plan and use it effectively. If you want to be successful at marketing you MUST have a marketing plan and use it regularly. An effective plan does not need to be 400 pages long, in fact, the shorter the better. You should be able to sum up your marketing plan in 7 sentences. A good marketing plan helps your marketdorphins kick in.
Develop and use a marketing calendar - Do you have the next three, six, or twelve months of your marketing planned out? Or are you a “yo-yo marketer?” Yo-yo marketers will market when their sales are low, then when the sales come up, they stop marketing. Since they stop marketing, their sales drop, and yes, at that point they market again. Remember, marketing must be done continually, day in and day out. Successful businesses use a marketing calendar and know what marketing method and tools they will use and when; not just market when the advertising sales rep stops by to twist their arm. Using a marketing calendar helps your marketdorphins kick in.
Use a system to implement your plan and calendar. Successful businesses have systems in place to ensure their marketing gets done. Business is tough. Fires come up out of no where that we need to put out, and can drain your time, energy and enthusiasm. Ironically, marketing as important as it is seems to get put aside more than it should. So as part of your calendar, add what day and time of the week you or your marketing person will devote to building your sales. Yes, it must be an appointment. Make it a habit. Put a system in place to help you follow through week in and week out, and it too will help your marketdorphins kick in.
Better understand your customers and what drives them. Solicit customer feedback on a regular basis and learn what makes your customers tick. The better you understand them and why they buy from you, the better you can tailor your marketing to prospects and new customers. Don't re-invent the wheel. Find out why they buy from you and use it in your marketing. This will increase the effectiveness of your marketing.
Learn where your customers and prospects hang out. As part of studying your current customers, find out what they like to do and where they spend your time. The more targeted you can make your marketing, the more successful it will be.
Use a designated person to market for you regularly. This can be you or someone currently in your company, but someone needs to take full ownership over your marketing. This person needs to eat, sleep, breath, and obsess over your marketing every day. Why wouldn't you have someone that does this? After all, without great, effective marketing, we don't have sales. The more time and attention you put into your marketing, the more effective it will be. Trust me on this. If you have the right person driving your marketing every day, your marketdorphins will definitely kick in.
As tough as marketing may seem, it really can be fun, if you understand it and follow the guidelines above. One thing you will find is that the more you market, the more your marketdorphins kick in. The more your marketdorphins kick in, the easier and more enjoyable marketing becomes. So, back my running example, miles one and two are the toughest; miles three, four, and five is where your business will really hum like a fine oiled machine. What ever marketing you are doing now, keep it up and look to see if you need to crank it up a notch for your marketdorphins to really kick in.
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