Usually at the beginning of each calendar year you’ll find a list of what’s hot and what’s not in every magazine on the newsstand.
We all get grooved on how we market and sell. Sometimes things are working just fine. Keep them going.
And something we hold on to things too long. They aren’t working, and we need a tune-up. And then there are those things you should just stop right now!
Perhaps some fresh insight about what other businesses are embracing will spur your creativity and testing, and this becomes our 3rd Holiday Gift to you this season.
Our list isn’t about what’s working or not working to generate customers. For example, you won’t find social networking on the “hot” list. It was hot years ago. Now it’s accepted and mainstream. And it still works wonders for many businesses.
So what’s working right now and shows every sign of being really important in 2013 to attract customers?
For those of you who like to test the “new” thing before it’s the “everyone is doing it” thing, this list is for you.
Let’s start with the Not List. Now remember—these might be very viable marketing tools for your business based on what works for your Ideal Customer. If they are working, don’t change a thing. If you need a little refresh, moving away from some of these just might shake up your results:
Not:
- Presentations (the one-directional kind)
- Canned video
- Clip art
- CDs/DVDs
- Avatars (those people who walk on to websites…so 2008)
- Building an Apple App
Hot:
- Authenticity
- Conversations and connections
- Viral video
- Everything mobile (is your website mobile friendly?)
- YouTube marketing
- Landing pages (rather than sending people to your website)
- Engaging content
- What Apple would do
Might there be one thing on the Not list that you should retire? And one thing on the Hot list that you should test?
Remember the goal is what works for your customers.
If your customer generation needs a little boost, take an honest look at what’s working and what isn’t.
Maybe it’s time to retire your marketing equivalent of platform shoes and move to something on the Gift #3 List…more 2013!
Go forth and do great things,
Martha Hanlon and Chris Williams
P.S. And if you feel short on time for everything during the holiday season, click the link and use this great method use this great method to actually find more time for the things you want to do.