The Best Thing I Ever Learned (about marketing) - Reader's Questions

In another article I wrote about what I learned from the VP of Marketing at Disneyland, how it's best to stop putting money into something that isn't working.

However, I received some emails from readers that sent up some red flags. One reader said that she was considering stopping (or cutting back on) email newsletters to her mailing list because it was costing money and not making money. Another reader wrote that he was going to quit a marketing campaign because after one week because it wasn't working.

So let me talk a bit about those "rules for success" I mentioned in the original article. It's important to be realistic about potential results. It's important to not stop something before it has really had a chance to succeed.

1. Some business activities are not meant to be money-makers, per se. They're part of marketing. They serve other purposes, like reminding people that you're there, letting them know what's new and exciting, and giving them information, tips and other things that they find valuable so that they will also find YOU to be valuable and worth paying attention to. It helps build and maintain those oh-so-important relationships with your customers and clients. If you stop you'll save a few dollars, but you'll also fall off people's radar and they'll forget about you. Sure, you can cut down on costs and save some money by working smarter (ask me about this if you're interested), but as I advised the reader who wrote in, it's not a good idea to stop. Just look at it differently and revise what makes it a success.

2. When setting "rules for success" be realistic. One week probably isn't enough time to accurately judge a marketing campaign. On the other hand, doing something over and over for years with no results isn't good either. I once had a client who mailed letters to purchased mailing lists as part of his marketing. He did it for years, and never got one response. When I asked him about it he said, "Maybe this time it will work." It didn't. Go figure.

So, give it enough time so you really know if it's working or not. Disneyland can tell right away if ticket sales are up. For the rest of us, it can take weeks, or months, to see a result from our efforts. Don't expect miracles. It takes time, and a sensible plan, to see results. THEN, if it's not working, stop.

Got questions? Feel free to email, or better yet, post a comment on the blog at http://tinyurl.com/BestThingILea
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All my best to you and yours!
Robin