You’re Confused About Shotgun Marketing

Garth Beyer

I too thought shotgun marketing was a waste of time and an annoyance. The idea of reaching as many people as possible is ridiculous. The entire force of our economy right now is aimed at rifle marketing, targeted, niche, focused, small…

Everything is getting specialized, individualized and compartmentalized for like groups of people, tribes.

The rifle approach is extremely rewarding. Why bother trying to sell horror stories to those who hate them or would rather read a romantic novel. If you’re going to sell a horror story, you have the resources to find the perfect people to target – horror story readers.

We’ve shot ourselves in the foot if we really buy into all of this, though.

I have nothing to critique when it comes to rifle marketing – that’s spot on. However, the flood of criticism that shotgun marketing receives is uncalled for. Shotgun marketing isn’t used as a spray and pray approach. There’s mythological thinking behind the aim and the scope.

The other day I and a couple of others pitched to a small board an idea of creating an online resource the covers activities for kids in Madison. Our target audience? Parents with kids and nannies. Quite simple and forward, but the board responded with a reminder not to limit ourselves. There are many mentorship programs like Big Brothers Big Sisters that parents could enroll their kid(s) in and that nannies can volunteer with. Originally, this market was not in our strategy memo.

What are the two words that explain this decision? Shotgun marketing.

And if you didn’t know, shotguns have different chokes and barrel sizes. You still have to aim them. And as far as I can remember, I’ve never seen or read about anyone killing five birds with one shot. Shotgun marketing is a challenging strategy because of the stigma, but equally as rewarding as a rifle.

 

Stay Positive & Pew Pew Pew

Garth E. Beyer

 

Those Who Give

Garth Beyer

I always thought I would vote for the Presidential candidate who would donate all his campaign money to charity. While that will likely never happen…

at least I can vote for Coca-Cola.

If you haven’t read, Coca-Cola is suspending their ads to give to the Philippines.

 

In Light Of Flu Season

Garth Beyer

halls

Remember that one of the best things you can sell is hope.

We all run out. We can all use more.

It makes everything better.

Even better: sell a promise. A promise of hope.

Make something. Then make it better with a dose of hope.

 

Stay Positive & Trust Is Just Layered Hope

Garth E. Beyer

You Can’t Become A Successful Blogger Alone

Garth Beyer

I get a number of views on my posts, but I don’t get nearly as many as I should. Not because my content is poor or my advice is unsound, but because I don’t share enough of other people’s work on my website.

I appreciate all Tyler Cowen does on his blog because of his “assorted links” posts.

Perfect support of this is a post I caught on Mashable today. “How sharing other people’s content makes you an irresistible job candidate.” (link here)

Seth Godin has such high traffic, partly because he’s a renowned author and marketer, but partly because he shares so much of other people’s art on his blog.

As a result, you can expect to find more assorted links posts from me. There’s really interesting stuff happening in the world and I would be lying if I said that I could tell you about it better than others. That won’t stop me from sharing it though.

1. The Brady Law as told by a kid. (watch)

2. 30 foul weather photos (look)

3. Masters of Reinvention (read)

 

Stay Positive & Enjoy

Garth E. Beyer

Most Don’t Want A Leader

Garth Beyer

Captain O Captain

But they want to be told what to do, they want to be given deadlines, they want you to check their work, they want you to take what they give you and combine it with what someone else gave you, they want you to answer the big important questions, they want you to solve their problems and decide between “this” and “that”.

They want to be lead, but they don’t want a leader.

A leader isn’t a position to be filled, it’s a type of person. Leading doesn’t mean you have different responsibilities, it means that you have more added on. Leading is about trust, not control. Leaders direct from a chair, while those who lead are on deck.

Ask yourself. Are you leading or a leader?

 

Stay Positive & Captain O’ Captain

Garth E. Beyer

Photo Credit

Watcha Gonna Do With That Luck

Garth Beyer

luck

I’ve said before that I don’t believe in luck, nevertheless I won’t take on the challenge of trying to convince you of that. Better yet, I’ll go along with it.

So you get lucky. The question shouldn’t be whether you deserved it or why you got lucky or if the luck was really a result of something you did. (What we most often wonder when we find ourselves lucky.)

The better question is what you’re going to do with that luck?

 

Stay Positive & I Always Suggest Give, But Do What You Will

Garth E. Beyer

Photo credit

Competition, So What

Garth Beyer

I’ve been in the financial aid world for a few years now. Even when I started my undergrad, I had a knack for figuring out everything it took to go through college debt free. What I learned from studying scholarships and grants can easily be applied to public relation strategies and web based tests, applications, contests, etc,.

Maximizing your probability for success in those tests, applications, contests, etc,. boils down to research done by Stephen Garcia and Avishalom Tor. Quite plainly the study shows that there is more motivation to work hard and complete something when there is fewer people being competed against.

The study aimed to help strategists and teachers maximize their student’s potential. I’m writing now to express my belief that the study is better interpreted as a mindset to acquire when you’re doing anything that is competitive.*

Most of the time when you’re competing your lizard brain is going to speak up and tell you that it’s not worth it because you have too little of a chance and you’re just risking humiliation and you’ll feel let down and it’s just a waste of time. But when you convince yourself that there is little competition, there’s little to lose and efforts don’t go wasted.

Your mind is going to play games, anyway. Might as well make them in your favor.

 

Stay Positive & Don’t Forget Your Fiercest Competitor Is Yourself

Garth E. Beyer

*My original idea behind this was that it benefits you to always tell yourself that there are a few number of people applying for a job that you want. While writing, I realized how relatable this mindset can be to anything competitive. Apply the mindset to what you see fit.