This is how the majority of my initial business conversations start;
Me: “Tell me about your marketing and what is bringing in leads right now”?”
Client: “Well, we do a lot on social media, referrals are good and we network a lot”.
Me: “What is your marketing budget”?”
Client: “Oh, we haven’t got one of them”
Within the space of 90 seconds I know that there is no money, never mind a plan or a strategy. Just a lot of hope or what is known in marketing as Hope Marketing.
What is Hope Marketing, anyway?
Hope marketing means doing something and hoping it will work. Or copying what your competitors are doing because you think that is working.
It isn’t a strategy or a plan, it is just wishful thinking. You are handing all the power of your business over to an invisible force.
For example, you set up a website and social media pages for your business. You post every day on all the platforms, using images, videos, and memes. You join a few groups. You hope that the people who like your Facebook page will follow you on Instagram and will want to buy something from you eventually. You have no way of capturing people’s details on your website via a newsletter sign-up or a lead magnet.
You don’t post a lot of sales posts because you don’t want to be “sleazy” or “too salesy”. You are very busy with your marketing, but not a lot of business is happening. You don’t know how people are finding you or what they really want. You have very little control over your lead generation. You are hoping that people will see your social media posts and go to your website and buy.
You are tempted to buy some ads or boost a post on social media because business is quiet or you are struggling. You are hoping that the right people see you and your ad and want to buy from you.
You are very busy and you think you are doing more than enough, but still, the sales don’t come.
Hope marketing, no strategy, no plan, and the possibility of your failure is high.
Does Hope Marketing Work?
You may be able to get some clients with hope marketing. But you will never reach your goals, be able to grow and scale your business, or worst make the money you deserve.
We all have hopes and dreams, but to achieve them we have to have a plan of action. For example, if you want to lose 4 stone and get healthy, sitting on the sofa every night binge-watching Netflix and eating ice cream isn’t going to help you lose that weight. You will need to alter your eating habits and start regular exercise. It will require a plan.
I am no health expert, but even I know that by continuing to sit on the sofa for the next 6 months you are more likely to increase your weight than lose it. I am quite certain that the chances of you losing weight are practically non-existent.
Hoping isn’t going to work for you this time. The only way that you will actually get results and achieve your hopes and dreams is to have a strategy and plan. If it was as easy as hoping, we would all be doing it and be thin, sitting on the sofa eating ice cream and binge-watching Netflix.
Why Do You Sit Back & Hope?
Is it a belief?
Is it because you are not confident enough in your abilities?
Is it because it is the way it has always been done and you want to stick with it?
Or do you feel like you have invested time and money in these approaches so you need to keep going?
Has it not occurred to you (until now) that there is an easier way to achieve the success you are looking for?
Women especially have a belief that selling is sleazy. You are afraid to promote your product or services for fear of being pushy or worse. There is a fear that it will somehow damage your reputation and people will unfollow or block you.
When you are in business, you have a moral duty to step up and sell. To Sell is to Love, To Sell is to Serve. If you are truly proud and passionate about what you do, you shouldn’t be afraid to sell it.
Does hope marketing work?
I am hoping by now, you have realized that hope marketing doesn’t work!
The only way you are going to be able to achieve your goals, grow your business and scale it (if that is your plan) is to have a strategy and a plan you are working towards.
Even then it will be a work in progress. It will require consistent action and adjustments.
The online world is noisy and crowded. Your competition is competing for business just like you. You need to give up hoping and start working strategically to achieve your goals.
Don’t leave it up to hope. Grab it with both hands and go and get it.
If you’d like to talk to someone who knows how to strategize and grow a business, give me a call. I’m not much of a hoper, but I’m a great helper and would love to help you achieve your goals.