FIVE MYTHS OF INTERNET MARKETING FOR INDEPENDENT
PROFESSIONALS
C.J. Hayden, MCC
There's more marketing hype published on the Internet
in one day than P.T. Barnum generated in his lifetime.
Like a worm swallowing its tail, the Internet
marketing beast feeds mostly on itself. The vast
majority of what appears on the Internet about
marketing is designed to help you market products and
services sold and delivered exclusively on the
Internet.
So what does that mean for the independent
professional whose web presence is primarily aimed at
selling his or her own personal services? You know,
services delivered the old-fashioned way, by humans
interacting face-to-face or at least voice-to-voice.
At best, the average professional is likely to be
overwhelmed by the sheer volume of Internet marketing
advice available. At worst, he or she is being
seriously misled by it.
The problem is that marketing your own professional
services is simply not the same as marketing a retail
product or an anonymous business service. You can't
sell corporate consulting like you do web hosting; nor
can you sell life coaching the same way you do an
e-book. If you try to market yourself by following
advice designed for marketing Internet products and
services, you're likely to make some serious mistakes.
Here are five Internet marketing myths that may be
hazardous to the health of your business.
Myth #1 – It all starts with a great web site.
Actually, the place where it starts is with a
well-defined service. If you don't have a crystal
clear picture of who you are marketing to and exactly
what you're selling them, the best web site in the
world won't get you clients. Before you even think
about building a web site, you should know who your
target market is, how to describe your professional
specialty, and what specific benefits your work
provides for your clients.
The content of your site is much more important than
the design. Yes, you should have a
professional-looking site, but a brilliant design and
dazzling graphics won't pay off anywhere near as well
as a clear explanation of why a client should work
with you. Useful material such as articles,
assessments, and other samples of your expertise will
go much further to persuade prospective clients than
flash intros and interactive menus.
Myth #2 – More traffic translates to increased
profits.
The only result that more traffic to your web site
guarantees you is increased bandwidth use by your web
host. Before spending money on banner ads, web
directories, or pay-per-click listings to drive more
visitors to your site, you need to be sure that
they'll want to do business with you once they get
there.
Ask your colleagues and current clients to critique
your site. Do they understand what you are offering?
Can they see concrete benefits to your target
audience? Revise your site based on their feedback.
Then personally invite some prospective clients to
visit and touch base afterward. Do your prospects seem
more inclined to do business with you after seeing
your site? If so, you're on the right track. If not,
you still have more work to do.
Myth #3 – Do whatever it takes to build your list.
There's no question that a substantial opt-in mailing
list is a valuable marketing asset, but the quality of
names on your list is much more important than the
quantity. Acquiring names through giveaways of other
people's material, trading lists with joint venture
partners, or purchasing them from a vendor rarely
provides qualified buyers truly interested in your
services.
Absolutely, ask your site visitors and people you meet
to join your mailing list and offer them something of
value in return. A well-written ezine, helpful report,
or informative audio are all effective premiums. But,
your premium should be directly related to the
services you provide and also serve to increase your
professional credibility. Names acquired from
promotional gimmicks or unknown sources seldom turn
into paying clients.
Myth #4 – Killer copy is the secret to sales.
Hype-laden web copy may be effective in selling
certain info-products or courses, but it hardly
inspires trust. You're not going to convince anyone to
hire you individually as a consultant, coach, trainer,
designer, or financial advisor by offering "not one,
not two, but three valuable bonuses" as if you were
selling steak knives on late-night TV.
Your Internet marketing persona should reflect the
same professionalism as the work you do with your
clients. If writing marketing materials isn't your
forte, by all means hire a professional copywriter.
But be sure you hire one with experience writing for
professionals like yourself. The copy on your web site
should inspire feelings of confidence about your
abilities, and communicate your reliability and solid
qualifications.
Myth #5 – Just follow the winning formula and you will
get rich.
There's only one surefire recipe for Internet wealth I
know of, and that's the business of selling surefire
recipes. There seems to be an infinite number of
buyers for every new get-rich-on-the-net scheme that
is invented, but paradoxically, a precious few people
actually making money on the web.
The Internet may be a different medium for marketing
professional services than making calls, writing
letters, or speaking to people in person, but the same
time-honored principles still apply. There is no new
winning formula. The secret to landing clients is what
it always has been -- build relationships and get
people to know, like, and trust you.
If your web site, ezine, and other Internet-based
activities contribute to building long-term, trusting
relationships with prospective clients and referral
sources, you'll get business on the web. But if you
blast your message out to anyone who will listen,
aiming for a quick profit, the Internet won't bring
you any more business than standing on a street corner
with a megaphone.
Copyright © 2005, C.J. Hayden
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