Some gaze into crystal balls, I gaze into a goat’s horn. As you know (from my perspective), it is filled plentifully with goodies, new ideas and a bit of fortune-telling mumbo jumbo. (“Oh, look what’s in here: the Magic 8 Ball that disappeared when I was twelve!”)

I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sick of the endless “10 Industry Predictions for 2013” or “The Top 5 Widget Trends for 2013” or worse, “13 Tools to Take Up Twice of Your Precious Time That Accomplish Nothing in 2013.”

So let’s do one more. 🙂

The cornucopia is in the house. Let’s take a look at what it has to offer you in the thirteenth year of the new millennium.

Content Is King

Content Marketing will become more and more important to successful results for you. If 2012 didn’t bring you as many qualified customers as you hoped for, then 2013 is the year to get serious with targeting. If “content” marketing remains a conundrum for you, then let me help. Simply put: It refers to providing your customers and prospects with valuable, useful information for their lives and businesses. Traditional marketing doesn’t actually give them anything.

What you give them doesn’t necessarily mean you have to give away state secrets. It doesn’t necessarily have to be about your products or services either. Let’s say you’re an accountant, but you also love to cook. Give away your recipes and cooking tips. It will be appreciated, and you’ll be remembered for your kindness. What does it have to do with accounting? Not a damn thing! But it has a lot to do with successful marketing.

Why?

Because you got remembered. Now you can craft your incongruous content marketing (cooking and accounting) into a unique selling proposition that will keep you remembered when they need a CPA. How? You can discuss the perfect ingredients to a well-ordered balance statement. Show them how preparing for an elegant dinner party is similar to strategizing for smart tax planning.

Bottom line: Use your knowledge base to give your customers information they appreciate and need (in that order). They’ll remember you better; they’ll be more loyal; and they’ll be more likely to refer you to a friend.

Want other examples of how you can put content marketing to better use for your firm? You know where to find me.

Hyper-Targeting to Catch the Big Fish

..or the little fish too.

What is hyper-targeting? It’s the opposite of “Drink Coke!” That message applies to everyone. And while the dentist says, “Everyone has teeth, so they’re all potential customers,” and the grocer says, “Everyone’s gotta eat, so they’re all potential customers,” that message doesn’t necessarily attract “everyone” to your doorstep. And sometimes it doesn’t attract anyone. Why?

Visualize this scenario: You’re sitting in an audience. The host standing on the stage asks for volunteers. No one responds, hidden amongst the masses. He looks around and points his finger at you saying, “C’mon down! You’re the one.”

You’re taken aback: “Who me?” you say while wildly looking around for someone else nearby who must’ve been his target. The host reiterates, “No, you come on down.”

Marketing works the same way. Unless you’re specifically singled-out. Unless you see, “Jane Parma, you just won a million dollars!” Unless you recognize yourself as the target of an ad, you are unlikely to take action and call, email, click or what not, in response to the marketing.

Let’s go back to the accountant example: The first ad she runs says, “Frustrated with online tax software? Call Jane CPA for peace of mind this year.” Sure, she may pick up a few responses from a few folks who just tried an online tax program and didn’t like it. On the other hand, if she applied a few more specifics, such as: “Did your online tax program overlook the fencing improvements you made to your ranch last year? Get a bigger refund! Call Jane CPA this year.”

Even if a rancher didn’t do any capital improvements, the message says, “I understand the unique tax situations ranchers face. Call me.” And the ranchers will call Jane to do their tax returns.

Bottom line: Broad marketing messages work less and less. If you cannot craft truly targeted marketing messages, ask yourself two questions: Have you really analyzed your customers in enough detail to know whom to target specifically? And do you need outside help to craft your message?

Mobilize, infographicize, app-ecize – these are all trends of “more” for 2013. But my Magic 8 Ball in the cornucopica says, “Do those in another post!” Until next time…