No doubt you’ve heard the phrase:
“If you want to get the job down right, you’ve got to have the right tools for the job.”
Pretty tough to pound in a nail with screwdriver, no?
The Same Goes for Marketing
And in the marketing world, there is NO shortage of tools. It seems nary a day passes without an innovative tactic or novel app crash landing on the scene…. To which the entire marketing industry hype-machine responds in nanoseconds with gushing “must have” tweets, status updates, blog posts, YouTube videos and podcasts galore. Like I said, there’s no shortage of tools (and no shortage of blather about those tools).
But whether you realize it or not, you’ve already got a fist full of highly effective tools in your marketing toolkit. Though you’re probably not using them as well as you could, or should…
In part, this is because these tools are tough to qualify. In fact, they’re intangible in nature. That means you can’t put a finger on them – unlike a process driven strategy or cool new app. Rather these tools reflect your profound connection to your business.
Moreover, these tools are 10x more important to your biz than any new-fangled strategy or app.
So without further ado, let’s examine six of your most valuable intangible marketing tools…
Passion For Your Business
In any of life’s pursuits, passion makes a HUGE difference. Your passion is completely intangible, but palpable none-the-less.
When you have passion for your biz, it makes a distinct impression on prospects and clients. And that impression is a key motivating element in converting prospects into paying customer. And keeps existing clients returning again and again.
Knowledge of Your Business
Nobody knows your business better than you. And your knowledge reeks from every pore when you communicate with prospects.
Alongside passion, knowledge is another critical factor in convincing prospects you KNOW what you’re talking about. And it assuages inherent fears most have hiring someone they’ve never worked with before.
Your Network
Every person you’ve come into contact with from birth to right this minute comprises your “Network.”
Family, friends, schoolmates, professional associates across the various industries and businesses you’ve work in and for are all part of your Network.
Whether you’re trying to launching a new business or a new campaign, offering a new product or service, or just trying to drum up a little action, never, ever, overlook your Network. Even if and individual or particular segment doesn’t have the slightest need for what you’re peddling, that doesn’t mean they don’t know someone who does.
Follow Through
Marketing is GREAT at generating leads + referral.
A lead or referral not contacted, however, is a worthless waste of the time, effort and money spent generating it.
Leads and referrals are marketing GOLD. Don’t squander them.
Follow Up
A lead or referral contacted once and never followed up on, is the same worthless waste of the time, effort and money as lead not followed through upon.
The marketing support firm, Marketo, has calculated some statistics on the subject. According to their figures, follow up with most qualified leads or referrals require an average of five interactions before the subject gives a firm “yes” or “no.”
As noted above in Follow Through, leads and referrals are marketing GOLD. Don’t give up mining those veins until they’re TOTALLY TAPPED OUT.
Intuition
That little voice constantly chattering away in the back of your mind? You know, the one that points you toward one decision and away from another… That’s your intuition.
It’s the sum total of your passion for and knowledge of your business and the marketplace in which you operate bubbling up through your subconscious. Your subconscious grinds away and problems in the background. And your intuition serves up those solutions to your conscious mind.
Don’t ignore that voice. In fact, listen to it closely. And always carefully consider what it says.
That “voice” is the most valuable tool in your marketing toolkit.
What Intangible Tools Are in Your Marketing Toolkit?
While I rank the six items above among the most valuable intangible tools in any small biz owners marketing toolkit, they’re by no means the ONLY tools out there…
What are some intangible tools that have made an important impact on your business? Drop by my Google+ page and share!