10 Immutable Laws of Marketing

Immutable Laws of Marketing

If you want to be in business you have to know, how to market yourself, and you have to know how to do it well. A lot of people think that building good products is all that matters. But, building a good product is only the beginning. A lot of companies struggle because they cannot market their products and services to the right audience. 

Companies like Apple, Nike, Coca-Cola have achieved incredible success due to their marketing strategies. With effective marketing, you can anchor your product in your customer’s mind and then turn them into loyal fans. Success in business is really understanding people psychology and winning them through various ways.

Here we are going to discuss some laws of marketing which can help your business position your products and services much more potently.

1. Law of Leadership

Law of Leadership

Being a Leader in the market can make your brand get noticed and win customers. When you are the first company in the market, you get to set the rules of the game. It is far better than having to play by someone else’s rule. Most of us know the first man on the moon but no one remembers the second.

You have to either be the first or the best. Position your brand in a way where you can be a leader in your category at least in some niche areas. When you can position your brand in a unique way, you can build leadership and following for your company.

2. Law of category

It’s very hard to get leadership position where competition already exists, it’s better to create a product in new category, than trying to play the catch up game. Like if you cannot make a new video camera than try to make a sport camera like GoPro did, if you can’t be the first photo-sharing app than be the first photo sharing app where you can have amazing experience like Instagram. Find out your USP and which category you can dominate.

3. Law of Mind

Law of Mind

No one remembers the first search engine, everyone knows Google. Sometimes it’s not possible to be the first in the market, but you can still be the first in the consumer’s mind. It’s possible with great messaging and quality products. This the key and this can allow you to overcome some of your flaws.

Winning businesses are able to win the hearts and minds of their customers before anyone else does. They do it through repeated advertising, quality solutions and taking care of their customers.

4. Law of Perception

Marketing is not about products but about perception, reality doesn’t exist. What we called reality is the perception of reality that we create in our minds. This is the reason why Apple is so successful and iconic. It’s the perception built around their products that offer them an unprecedented positioning.

Marketing is the way you change the perception of the consumers about your brand. How you deliver your message goes a long way in creating your positioning. If you think that your product is good enough and you are able to convince your customer that it’s best, than people are definitely going to buy.

5. Law of Focus

Law of Focus

Marketing requires establishing a deep connect with the prospects. As a brand, you have to build an association of your brand with the consumer. For e.g. when you think of search, you think of Google. Room sharing is snyonymous with AirBnB. Your messaging and focusing on the right keywords can make a big difference to your chances. Successful brands are able to create a unique messaging and phrase word which connects them to their consumers.

6. Law of Failures

It’s not possible to work out a successful strategy for your products and success in one go. Quite often the difference between failures and success is persistence. Great brands know how to fail, take learnings and iterate towards building successful strategies for launching their products.

Risks, failures and experimentation are crucial for getting the combination right. The best companies are able to execute better because they take learnings and improvise their strategy according to the market feedback.

7. Law of Perspective

Law of Perspective

Marketing is a long term game. No great brand is built overnight. It takes time for people to connect with brands. Constant, consistent and deliberate messaging can help companies to build the right connect with their prospects.

The best brands are able to take a long-term view of things to build their company. They avoid short term measures that can have detrimental long-term impact on the company.

8. Law of Opposite

The market has enough place to accommodate different players. You dont have to be the leader all the time for building a winning business, as long as you’re different, you can still create your space. Coca-Cola is the market leader in the FMCG consumer space, but Pepsi has been able to establish itself as a strong brand too.

Most markets reward players when they play to their strengths instead of simply copying their competitors. A brand must stay true to its purpose and communicate authenticity to its customers.

9. Law of Sacrifice

Law of Sacrifice

Everything has a price tag. No brand is every built without sacrifice. You have to know everything inside out in your market. You need to know what the customer needs are, how your product will serve them, the tagline of your product, the market demands & constant changes to adapt. Nothing worth having is served on a platter. Be ready to pay the price to build something big.

10. Law of predictability

How will you respond to change and an unpredictable future. You never know what will be thrown at you. Unless you have deep knowledge of your industry, your positioning and strategy, things will be difficult. The best brands are built around strong strategies and execution. They know how to communicate and win clients, because they understand what they are doing.

8 Awesome Ways to Increase Business Visibility

Business visibility

Visibility is one of the biggest challenges that businesses face today. It’s not easy to get noticed in the age of information overload. There is a saying that goes that aptly summarises it, ‘What is seen is sold.’ If your potential clients are unaware of the services or the products you are offering, how they will reach you?

Increasing visibility and creating brand awareness is not an easy task especially for young companies, due to the crowded marketplace. It is hard to differentiate yourself and standout. Your message needs to be spot on; consistent and tailored for your audience, else it will be perceived as marketing noise.

Data from Google shows that 87% of potential customers use mobile and other electronic devices to search for business information, before making any purchase. Hence having a strong digital presence can lead to increased visibility and business opportunities. As per Statista, the global m-commerce sales will surpass $693 billion by 2019.

As per Social Media today, 1 out of every five minutes is spent on social networking accounts. A digital and social media presence is indispensable for business visibility. Here we look at some of the awesome ways you can increase your business visibility:

1. Good Location:

A good location multiplies business opportunities and a bad one ruins them. Always choose the best possible location for your business, where your potential clients are coming frequently. If you are willing to open a fast food restaurant than, any place which is situated nearby schools or college will be the best option for your business setup.

Do not forget to apply a attractive name plate of your business with visible fonts, it will automatically grasp the attention of your audience, attract potential employees and will market your brand.

  2. Great Website

Great Website

A stunning website with great designs is a basic requirement in the digital world. When visitors search your business, they should feel the wow factor.

Having a good website is a essential part for increasing the visibility at local as well as on global market. So make an attractive website which has the clear description of all your services or products with graphics or images. A clear NAP i.e. Name , Address and Phone number will make your website more search engine friendly.

3. Business Directories:

Business Directories

Register your business in Local Business Directories, having a business account on social business pages on digital platform likes – Google my business page, online trade directories, yelp, yellow pages etc. can help to increase your brand awareness. Trade service directories offer a simple way for people to find out more about you and contact your business.

Most of the business directories offer free listings, you could also opt for paid listings for premium services like web leads and full services details on these trade directories.

4. Print Media:

Print Media

Print Media is one of the most traditional ways to gain visibility for your business, but it works. It can increase walk-ins for your business. You can make attractive hoardings, banners, brochures and pamphlets with attractive images and graphics to convey your message to
your targeted audience. The electronic copy of the marketing materials can also
be distributed via digital platforms and social media channels.

You may also print your company’s Logo on some household things like – pens, paper wait, calendars, diaries, etc. and distribute them to create goodwill with your prospective customers.

5. Blog & Digital Content:

An interactive blog with great indepth articles, Infographics and videos etc can serve as a great way for brands to establish themselves. It takes lot of effort to create quality content. But the blog can serve as a great means to advertise about your capabilities, strengths and knowledge in your industry.

Your blog can be built around your customers and address them. The interactive videos etc. can be shared on social media to create a buzz around your offerings. Blog is also one of the most effective ways to improve your SEO and search engine rankings.

6. Sponsorships, Events and Conferences:

Sponsorships, Events and Conferences

Giving sponsorship to events where your targeted audience is expected to come is also a persuasive approach for brand visibility. Do not forget to put your company’s banner having a short description about your services with your clear address and contact details
when you attend events.

Small gifts and giveaways that bear your company’s signature and contact details can help your branding too.

7. Group Associations and Affiliations:

Your business visibility is directly affected by its network and reach. By joining communities, business groups and targeted groups, your business can get good exposure. For e.g. joining London Chamber of commerce can get you in touch with many business persons there. When you join a peer group of industry, you know the latest developments in your field and also connect with others who have similar interests.

Getting in touch with those who are already in your field & doing well can help you learn many business traits from them. You can also share, learn and grow from these cumulative experiences. Most businesses often have complementary products and services. A bigger network can bring you more opportunities.

8. Online to Offline Strategy:

Online to Offline Strategy

According to Google, ‘near me’ mobile searches have grown over 500% in the last two years. It goes to show how important local optimisations can be for connecting with the local customers. Whether you’re a retailer, online store or an established business, you need a
way to connect the online and offline world for success in the digital world.

Conclusion:

The successful businesses are able to execute their strategies for creating visibility for their products and services and staying on top of the mind for their customers. Visibility is proportional to growth and profitability. The more people see you , more they will buy things from you. As a business, you need to remember that people are not interested in who you are, they are interested in what you can do for them.

Your visibility is the result of your efforts and how consistent you are with posting and connecting with the people in your Network.

Denise Wakeman