Scratches on Marketing = scratches on broad and narrow marketing stuff I care about... the how's of branding and positioning, the what's of go-to-market and product launches, the who's in services (oh, there are so many providers these days that it certainly makes sense for someone to try and define the categories of marketing vendors available and what they offer), the when's - marketing and tech events in the Boston area, networks and groups, and then the why's.
Plan for the better times ahead...Why?
Because people are not buying. Not that they are not buying from you. They simply are not buying. And it will probably get worse until it gets better. I am least likely to predict when this recession is going to be over - I leave that to smart folks like Michael Mandel @BusinessWeek - Economics Unbound. All I know is that they will be. No matter what we do to try and generate demand for our products, services, and saas's, we will not change the buyer's mind. To buy now that is. But we can change the buyer's mind to buy tomorrow. We can use this downtime to plan and build our reputation (read brand). We will likely not have such a luxury any time soon. So let's use this time and opportunity wisely.
1. Build a network of supporters for your brand - by standing for something meaningful they care about.
2. Plant your message now - be vocal about your category.
3. Educate - tell people what they need to know not only about your product or service, but about your category you. Take your time telling them. Use whatever means you deem appropriate - blogs, white papers, videos, tweets.
4. Make it easy for them to share your content - invest all your time and energy in building your sales pipeline.
Lora K (aka Scratch)
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