In Tough Times, Think Marketing 101
This post was originally published in November 2008. I’m reprinting it in it’s entirety, as a matter of historical record.
This column (which will be about marketing, I promise) will also mark the one-year anniversary of my writing these monthly articles, and quite a lot has happened in that time. For me, it’s been a time in which I’ve met lots of people, taken on some exciting new freelance projects, finished another novel (agents and editors, please take note) and plan to have an out-of-print novel that didn’t get its fair shot at finding an audience (in my humble opinion) reissued (hopefully, soon).
I’ve also started planning a fundraising ride for the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation. Dystonia is the third most common movement disorder, after Parkinson’s and essential tremor. It is an affliction that can change your life dramatically, and it has no cure — yet. The ride (a poker run) will start and end at the Old Glory Harley-Davidson dealership in Laurel, MD. Please note this event is for all bikes, not just Harleys. In fact, all two- to four-wheeled motor vehicles can participate. It’s scheduled for Saturday, May 2, 2009, and it’ll cost $30 to register for the ride. The first 100 ride registrants will get a free T-shirt and all registrants can enjoy free food, musical entertainment, as well as a chance at the $250 prize for the poker hand winner, door prizes and a 50–50 raffle after the ride. You also have the option of attending the post-ride party only, at a reduced price. Please watch this space, as more information about how to register for the ride will be available soon. If you have any questions or would like to donate or become a sponsor, please feel free to email me [don’t, because it’s over, obviously 🙂 ] and put “Dystonia Ride” in the subject line.
Other changes — well, I don’t have to talk about the economy or the elections, since the media’s done a pretty good job of beating those subjects to death. We all know times are tough. The whole world is taking an economic beating. The question is, how will you respond to that?
It’s easy to assume there’s nothing you can do. You hear all the time that people are scared, investors are uncertain, businesses are failing. What you don’t hear so much are the success stories. I would like to tell you about one success story I learned very recently.
A man named Michael Stelzner lost his job during the dot-com bust around the turn of this century. It was a tough time for the economy, but he decided to do something a bit radical. He decided to give away his knowledge by writing a white paper on how to write white papers.
Now, some (perhaps many) people thought he was nuts. “Why are you giving away your trade secrets?” they asked. He did it anyway, and achieved a far greater success than he could ever have imagined.
The white paper he wrote, basically, went viral. Since he could put it on the Web, he was able to make it available — at no cost to him or the recipient — to anyone with an Internet connection around the world. Word about his paper spread quickly. It became clear that Stelzner knew his stuff on the subject. Some people took his advice and wrote the papers themselves. Others — those who don’t enjoy writing or could see the value Stelzner offered as a writer — chose to hire him, based on the knowledge he’d demonstrated in that paper. By doing good work for these clients and practicing effective marketing techniques, Stelzner began to gain notoriety in the white paper writing field.
Stelzner is now considered a white paper guru. He has a blog [or had one, anyway], a newsletter, and a published book on the subject. He gives seminars on white paper writing and makes a rather decent living in this niche. He’s an example of someone who bucked conventional wisdom and achieved great success.
And he did this during a period of tough economic times.
So what’s your response to a bad economy? Have you been laid off because of it? I’ve already written about how getting canned from your job may actually present an opportunity to do something else. The question is, will you run from the opportunity with your tail tucked between your legs or will you embrace it?
When you’re thinking about how to survive in a bad economy, it may be helpful to consider the following things:
- What value do you offer? We all have a value, in terms of training, experience and temperament. What is it that you do especially well? Are you a wordsmith, a tech genius, a masterful designer? Can you help people fix their computers, design their Web sites, sell their products, decorate their houses or offices? Can you make things that other people need or would like to have? What do you know and what value does that knowledge and ability provide to others?
- How can you let others know about your value? This is where the rubber hits the road in marketing and it’s a subject that I could give a whole seminar on. (Certainly, others have done so.) Suffice it to say that there are many ways — some more effective and efficient than others — to spread the word about the valuable thing (good or service) you offer. I will suggest one — online social networks.
Through online social networking you can not only “meet” people and let them know what you do (and vice versa), but you can do it from the comfort of your own home and at a time that’s convenient for you. I won’t say that online social networking is a complete replacement for more personal contact with clients. (Although Stelzner’s experience may put the lie to that truism.) Nonetheless, it’s a great way to reach people around the world who can not only benefit from your expertise, but from whom you can benefit, also. - How can you set yourself apart from others who offer similar value to yours? This is a key question in marketing. How are you different? How are you better than other people who do what you do? This is where you really have to focus on your particular strengths and interests. Marketing yourself based on those strengths and interests will lead you to your niche.
Your niche can help you stand out from all the others. If you have particular expertise and interest in health care, for instance, that’s a logical focus for your work. Having a niche also gives you a specialty — you can generally command a higher price for goods or services of a highly-specialized nature.
How narrow should your niche be? It really depends on the market. You can make your niche as narrow as you like, as long as there’s enough demand for what you offer. Keep in mind, however, that times and circumstances change and those changes can affect your niche. Imagine being a candle or lantern maker when the electric light bulb hit the market. That must have been unsettling, at first. However, people still use candles and lanterns, they just use them differently now. Changes in technology and new products could change the demand for your niche, and you should always be aware of that and have the flexibility to respond in an appropriate way. - How can you connect with the right clients quickly? Always a good question. When it comes to marketing, I firmly believe you should (please forgive the cliché, but it’s true) work smarter, not harder. Find the organizations and associations that are looking for the value you offer in your niche(s). Get your work in front of them in some way. Write articles for their trade publications. Create a white paper that educates your potential customer base about you (as Stelzner did), and put it online somewhere that your target market is likely to see it. Keep track of potential client contacts and give them the option of subscribing to an email newsletter or write a blog and let them know about it, so they can subscribe to it through an RSS feed, if they like. These are just a few ideas and you can probably come up with more ways to target your marketing toward the clients who need you the most.
Feeling less scared? Maybe even more motivated? I hope so. Don’t let all the media hype about falling stock prices and failing businesses keep you from pursuing your goals. Don’t let conventional wisdom stop you from trying out a new and interesting approach. Use your common sense, but don’t be afraid to take a few calculated risks, here and there. In short, don’t give up. Especially before you’ve even started.
PS: A lot has changed since 2008, but the need to market and provide value to your readers hasn’t changed at all.
PPS: And I have started a team for the Dystonia Virtual Zoo Day fundraiser! You can read my announcement here! 🙂
PPPS: Marketing while uncomfortable. Via Ruth E. Thaler-Carter.
Plus, a New Deal for Writers in America.
PPPPS: Tik-Tik? Shee-it. 🙂
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