Did you know…
Most marketing sucks… I mean fails.
Yeah, according to studies and surveys online, 70 – 90% of marketing campaigns fail to produce the results people hope for.
By “fail to produce the results people hoped for”, I mean one of the following:
- The business did not produce results and lost money.
- The business barely broke even or hardly produced any meaningful results.
- The business didn’t achieve their goal and generate the results they were expecting.
Now, I don’t know if the numbers in those stats/studies are accurate or entirely true, but I do know for a fact that most business owners end up disappointed and frustrated with the results they get from their marketing.
Do a quick Google search or spend a little time reading business forums, and you’ll quickly see how many business owners are frustrated, disappointed, or flat-out angry with the marketers and ad platforms they’ve spent money on.
So…
Why is it that most marketing campaigns produce disappointing results?
There can be a lot of reasons why…
But in the end it all comes back to this one thing:
Not building a solid marketing foundation.
This is especially true if you’re doing marketing all the time and still not seeing the results you want.
So, if you want to stop wasting money on marketing, or want to make sure your next marketing campaign doesn’t flunk, then you better make sure you’re building the right foundation first.
Ok, so how do you build the right marketing foundation?
That’s what this page is all about.
The Fundamentals of Marketing
Look at everything around you that’s complex, whether it’s built by nature or man.
Trees.
Buildings.
Boats.
Cars.
Planes.
Or life itself.
All of these things have a foundation that’s built around timeless principles that never change.
Even though these things can grow and improve, they can’t do it without first having a solid foundation in place.
For example, think about a tree.
A tree can’t keep growing without strong roots.
Or take a building.
You can’t build a taller building without a strong foundation.
You can water a tree as much as you want.
You can use the latest tools and technology to keep building taller and taller.
But without strong roots or a solid foundation, it won’t work.
Sooner or later, the tree or building will become unstable and fail.
The same idea applies to marketing.
We’re living in a time where there’s always something new around the corner…
A new tool, a new trend, a new platform you need to show up on…
Then you’re told that if you don’t keep up, you’ll be left behind.
For example, right now, AI is all the rage.
“If you’re not using AI in your marketing, you’re gonna fall behind!”
You’ve probably heard some version of that by now.
Now, don’t get me wrong.
I do believe you should keep up with new trends, tools, and whatever is needed to make sure you stay competitive and succeed in the current times.
For example, right now I encourage all businesses to start automating as much stuff as they can so they save time, create more opportunities, all without having to lift a finger.
But…
Current trends, new technologies, and tools don’t replace the fundamentals.
In fact, if you don’t build a proper foundation, all the new trends, tools, and technologies either won’t work for you or won’t work nearly as well.
Why?
Because your marketing is only as strong as its foundation.
Tools change.
Trends change.
Technology changes.
But the fundamentals of good marketing always stay the same.
If you want your marketing to work not just today, but tomorrow, and the next several years, you need a solid foundation.
The Fundamentals Of Marketing
So, what are the fundamentals of marketing?
The fundamentals of marketing are based on buyer psychology.
Or, more simply how people buy.
Every person, including you and me, follows a similar path whenever we buy something.
After all, we’re all human.
Marketers call this the buyer’s journey.
Here’s what that usually looks like:
- You realize you have a problem or want something.
- You start looking for a solution.
- You research your options.
- You compare different businesses.
- You decide which business you trust the most.
- You weigh the risks, the price, and whether it’s worth it.
- Then you make your decision.
The only real difference is how quickly you move through them.
Something expensive, like buying a home or planning a vacation with your partner, usually takes a lot longer than something simple like buying dog food.
Someone buying a home may take months or even years before making a decision.
Someone planning a vacation may take several hours, days, or even weeks.
And someone buying dog food may go through the entire process in just a few minutes or hours, especially if they really love their dog. 🐶
But no matter how long it takes, they’re still moving through the same basic buying path.
And this can be said for almost everything you buy.
Whether it’s searching for a dentist, a restaurant, or a barber.
Whether it’s buying a car, remodeling your home, or getting consultation services.
Or even just buying a can of beans.
The steps are all the same.
Again, the only difference is how fast someone goes through them.
Why a lot of Marketing Fails
The mistake a lot of businesses make is trying to skip steps in the buying journey or ignoring certain steps altogether.
For example, many businesses create ads that basically scream:
“Buy now!”
Or…
“Give me your contact information!”
But if someone is still researching and comparing their options, they’re probably not ready for that.
And even if they do click, there’s a good chance they’ll leave without taking the next step.
People in the research phase are looking for information that helps them make a better decision, not a hard sales pitch.
The same thing happens later in the buying journey.
A person may be completely ready to buy, but if you don’t provide enough proof, trust, or reassurance, they may never pull the trigger.
Instead, they’ll leave and choose someone else.
Another common mistake is showing the right information at the wrong time.
For example, someone who’s ready to buy doesn’t need another long explanation of your company.
They need clear benefits, proof, and an obvious next step.
But if you overwhelm them with unnecessary information, you create confusion, frustration, or hesitation.
And hesitation is often enough to lose the sale.
Observe Yourself
One of the best ways to understand your customers is to pay attention to how you buy.
Think about the last time you bought a book, hired a contractor, booked a vacation, bought a car, picked a restaurant, or even grabbed a bag of rice at the grocery store.
Even though those purchases are completely different, you still went through a very similar mental process.
You asked yourself questions.
You compared your options.
You looked for reasons to trust one choice over another.
The only real difference was how long you spent doing it.
For something inexpensive, like shampoo or a bag of rice, that process might take a few seconds.
You might compare a few brands, read the label, notice something like “100% organic” or “all natural,” and make a decision.
For something expensive, like a car, vacation, or home remodeling project, you spend much longer.
You search Google.
Visit different websites.
Read reviews.
Compare businesses.
Watch videos.
Look through social media.
Maybe even ask friends or browse online forums.
That’s exactly what your customers are doing too.
The more aware you become of your own buying process, the easier it becomes to understand theirs.
Going Deeper
What we just covered is only the high-level version of the buyer’s journey.
Think of it as the roadmap.
To create marketing that actually works, we have to zoom in on each step.
Why?
Because every step comes with its own set of questions, concerns, and decisions.
Someone who has just realized they have a problem is thinking very differently from someone who’s ready to buy.
If we treat them the same, our marketing won’t connect.
That’s why, in the next post, we’ll break down each step of the buying journey in much more detail.
We’ll uncover the questions people ask themselves at every stage and organize them under the appropriate step.
Once we’ve done that, you’ll have a blueprint for creating the right content, ads, web pages, emails, and videos for every point in the buying journey.
Instead of guessing what to say, you’ll know exactly what your customers need to hear and when they need to hear it.
Conclusion
Alright, now you have a better understanding of what the buyer’s journey looks like.
In the next post, I’ll show you exactly how to get inside your customer’s head and uncover the questions they’re asking at every stage of the buying journey.
Go ahead and read about it here: Coming soon…
By the way…
I help small business owners build a marketing system around your ideal customer journey.
If you’d like to know how I can help you build a marketing system that works, check out the following link: