Business Blog: On marketing, and how it really works
ahem i am about to use the power of "college classes" and "real world experience" to explain how marketing/sales actually works.
i am using the example of my current Indiegogo fundraiser... honest its a example not just trying to sell you stuff...
i find most people do not understand HOW MUCH sharing, emailing, and tweeting this project helps.
its the way marketing and sales really works. this is true of items in stores... of ideas... of just about anything really....
so... when something comes out whether its a product, a store, an idea, a fundraiser... there are a small number of people who are "early adopters" and will jump right in and buy/support/etc that thing
immediately
they are a MINORITY.
a valuable minority, admittedly, but a minority none the less
to be honest any business that depends on people jumping right in and buying it the first time they see the ad, or the thing.. is going to go broke.
because only a handful of people act like that.
and even they are not REALLY doing it
???
what did i just say?
well look at my indiegogo... some people jumped right in and contributed.. right away... the first time they saw the ad...
except EVERY single one of them was someone who is *already a customer/friend of mine*. which means that they may be new to this indiegogo thing.. but ME, as a brand? they know me already. they know i wont rip them off.. they know i mean it when i say this stuff will be pretty... or whatever.
most people will NOT buy the first time they hear about something... UNLESS they have a prior *relationship* with the store/seller/designer
so... if only a minority will buy the "first time" and most of that minority already know you..do you see how depending on JUST those folks is a recipe to go broke in business?
because even most of the folks that KNOW you wont buy the first time they see something new...
they need to see it repeatedly
this is why ads tend to run OVER and OVER.. or different ads for the same thing anyway...
the first time people see something they may be intrigued, but probably put it in the "something to look into" pile and forget about it..
then they see it again
"hmmm.. oh yes, i wanted to look at that"
and a few days later they see it again from a different source...
"wow.. this is pretty popular/trendy/well spoken of.. i should look into it!
and at some point they actually LOOK.. and they may buy.. or they may "window shop"
if they keep hearing about it, in a non annoying way... preferably by people whose opinions they respect....
they will probably buy it.
so those early adopters are incredibly valuable.. for word of mouth.
but you HAVE to sell to the majority... the NON early adopters.
which is why if you sell on social media, getting the early adopter people to recommend you, share, re tweet, etc is actually more valuable than their CASH.. because they enable you to reach the LARGER population of buyers!
so YOU! yes YOU are my most powerful marketing ally...
even if you are totally broke.
because YOU can share, or tell your friends, or tweet, or whatever... about whatever is being "sold" (and yes ideas are sold too)
when you share a news article you are "selling" that to your readers.
when you share my etsy shop, or my indiegogo fundraiser, likewise...
_________________________________________________________________
we now return you to the sales pitch:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/fabricdragon (for jewelry and beads and stuff)
http://igg.me/p/107557?a=467719 (my indiegogo fundraiser)
or go to Indiegogo and search for the project named "fabricdragon"
i am using the example of my current Indiegogo fundraiser... honest its a example not just trying to sell you stuff...
i find most people do not understand HOW MUCH sharing, emailing, and tweeting this project helps.
its the way marketing and sales really works. this is true of items in stores... of ideas... of just about anything really....
so... when something comes out whether its a product, a store, an idea, a fundraiser... there are a small number of people who are "early adopters" and will jump right in and buy/support/etc that thing
immediately
they are a MINORITY.
a valuable minority, admittedly, but a minority none the less
to be honest any business that depends on people jumping right in and buying it the first time they see the ad, or the thing.. is going to go broke.
because only a handful of people act like that.
and even they are not REALLY doing it
???
what did i just say?
well look at my indiegogo... some people jumped right in and contributed.. right away... the first time they saw the ad...
except EVERY single one of them was someone who is *already a customer/friend of mine*. which means that they may be new to this indiegogo thing.. but ME, as a brand? they know me already. they know i wont rip them off.. they know i mean it when i say this stuff will be pretty... or whatever.
most people will NOT buy the first time they hear about something... UNLESS they have a prior *relationship* with the store/seller/designer
so... if only a minority will buy the "first time" and most of that minority already know you..do you see how depending on JUST those folks is a recipe to go broke in business?
because even most of the folks that KNOW you wont buy the first time they see something new...
they need to see it repeatedly
this is why ads tend to run OVER and OVER.. or different ads for the same thing anyway...
the first time people see something they may be intrigued, but probably put it in the "something to look into" pile and forget about it..
then they see it again
"hmmm.. oh yes, i wanted to look at that"
and a few days later they see it again from a different source...
"wow.. this is pretty popular/trendy/well spoken of.. i should look into it!
and at some point they actually LOOK.. and they may buy.. or they may "window shop"
if they keep hearing about it, in a non annoying way... preferably by people whose opinions they respect....
they will probably buy it.
so those early adopters are incredibly valuable.. for word of mouth.
but you HAVE to sell to the majority... the NON early adopters.
which is why if you sell on social media, getting the early adopter people to recommend you, share, re tweet, etc is actually more valuable than their CASH.. because they enable you to reach the LARGER population of buyers!
so YOU! yes YOU are my most powerful marketing ally...
even if you are totally broke.
because YOU can share, or tell your friends, or tweet, or whatever... about whatever is being "sold" (and yes ideas are sold too)
when you share a news article you are "selling" that to your readers.
when you share my etsy shop, or my indiegogo fundraiser, likewise...
_________________________________________________________________
we now return you to the sales pitch:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/fabricdragon (for jewelry and beads and stuff)
http://igg.me/p/107557?a=467719 (my indiegogo fundraiser)
or go to Indiegogo and search for the project named "fabricdragon"