Are You Marketing Like the Sleepy Man on the Side of the Street?

As I was walking to my building in New York City during my daily morning commute, I noticed a sleepy-looking man handing out flyers on the side of the street. He was way off to the side, away from the hordes of people and simply held out his mysterious flyer as if people should come to him and get it themselves. Of course everyone ignored the guy and to tell you the truth, I felt bad for him. He lacked passion for his product and his strategy was bound to fail.

Online, I see the same thing happening with the way people approach Internet marketing. They think that if they simply build a site and let it sit, people will come to them and send them money. Although we all wish this was true, it is unrealistic and completely unbased. As Internet marketers we have to push our products and services so that they are clearly in the eye of our target audiences. If you have something truly exceptional, then yes, people will come to you. But that’s all a result of the hard work and quality push marketing that’s necessary to get you there.

So what was the sleepy man doing wrong? In this article I’ll explain 4 different ways in which the sleepy man handing out flyers can improve his strategy and be more effective. Then I’ll relate it to Internet marketing so you don’t make the same mistakes in your own campaigns. Read on!

First of all, wake up!
If you’re not interested in your own product, why should your potential customers be? Your image is everything online so make sure you have a good one. The more confidence you exude and the more trustworthy you seem, the more likely it is that people will notice you and want to hear your message. Passion speaks for itself.

Get in the crowd
The sleepy man on the street stood on the sidelines expecting people to come to him. Don’t be like him. In your Internet marketing campaigns, be sure to get in the crowd and put yourself in the shoes of your target audience. Strategically place yourself in high traffic areas and set up your brand to receive the most exposure possible. In other words, get your hands dirty and don’t be afraid of the masses! Be creative in using guerilla marketing tactics, advertise on relevant high profile sites, and take advantage of forums if you have to. Go to where your target audience is and show them what you’ve got.

Make it easy
People will be much more inclined to do what you want them to do if you make it easy for them. In the case of the sleepy man, a bypasser had to walk over 10 steps to get what the advertiser had to offer. Why would anyone want to go out of their way to receive junk? Online, this means improving your site’s usability and effectively funneling users to reach your conversion goal.

Use your voice
Everyone has an opinion and a voice that they can use to personalize the message. Rather than throwing out generic information, speak up to offer your thoughts and feelings to connect with your audience. You’re more likely to receive a response if you do.

If you want to be an effective marketer, use this lesson of the sleepy marketing man on the side of the street to learn what not to do. Follow all of the actions laid out in this article and you should be well on your way to online marketing success.