Grow your influence and grow your business. What marketing insights can purple dogs show us to help our purpose-driven business flourish?
Before we look at what these purple pooches are doing right, we first need to look at what most companies are doing wrong in their marketing. Let’s take a look at what doesn’t work.
Marketing That Doesn’t Work
Every year companies big and small waste money on marketing that simply doesn’t work.
Marketing that doesn’t work fails to accomplish two things:
- Stand out and get people to pay attention
- Build a positive relationship with potential customers
If you’re copying the marketing of others, especially your competition, you’re only hurting yourself. Sounding like others fails to differentiate your business in a way that attracts customers best suited for you.
You may have an awesome, top quality brand and marketing message. However, if you look and sound like everyone else then your marketing won’t stand out. You will spend thousands or millions of dollars just to simply blend in with the crowd, and you’ll wonder why your business stays stuck.
For instance, businesses that rely on large-scale PR & Advertising agencies often get a “rinse and repeat” formula for some situations. However, these companies are often large enough to burn through marketing dollars without thinking twice about it. (I know because I used to work in one of these agencies. Forgive me, we all have a past…)
As an example, take a look at this video compilation that was made from various ads during the COVID-19 pandemic:
If your marketing looks and sounds like everyone else then you don’t stand out. When you don’t stand out the right people don’t pay attention to you, killing your opportunity to connect with customers and grow your business.
Your business is smaller and scrappier than the mega corporations shown above. You can’t afford to flush down dollars on marketing without getting a return. Your business has to be smarter than that.
I’ve been in your shoes and you’re in the right place. Let’s help you market your small business effectively online.
What Good Marketing Can Look Like
So what does effective marketing look like? Like purple poodles.
Let me explain.
One day I was sitting outside at a local park when a woman went by walking her dogs. Now there’s nothing special about a woman walking her dogs. People do it every day.
But these dogs grabbed my attention (and the attention of everyone else).
These poodles were purple.
Now I’m not sure why this woman paints her poodles purple. Perhaps it starts conversations which leads into her recruiting people for her MLM. Maybe she lost a bet. Or it could be she’s creative and fun and likes to stand out in a crowd.
Mission accomplished.
These purple poodles are a perfect image of what effective marketing looks like. Even in this photo it’s clear that these dogs are a head turner!
In a world where so many people are striving to figure out what’s “right” and “normal” and “expected”, it’s the people who color outside the lines (within reason) who attract the right kind of attention to themselves or their business.
Trying to stand out can either attract attention or repel it. Don’t be annoying by standing out. Instead, invite curiosity from potential customers. Stand out so people pay attention, not turn away.
Standing Out So People Pay Attention
How can we stand out in a way that gets people’s attention and gets them to follow us? Here are 3 tips.
1. Be Recognizable
You must be recognizable on a core level to attract people’s attention. If you are too far out of left field, people will dismiss you as a quack or dangerous. This is not what you want.
Think back to the woman with the dogs. Yes they were purple, but they were easily recognizable as dogs. “Dogs” is the anchor point for the contrast that helps them stand out.
Start your marketing message with being recognizable on the simplest level. If you are a florist, be a florist. If you are a chef, be a chef. Your core identity should be easy for people to realize at first sight.
2. Be Remarkable
Okay, next you want to find a way to be remarkable. You started by focusing on being recognizable, but that’s only to give you a grounded starting point to be remarkable from.
Look at what others in your “recognizable” category are doing to connect with customers, then do it differently. Don’t just have a slightly different message, or different logo and colors. Instead, stand out in a way no one else is standing out.
“In a crowded marketplace, fitting in is failing. In a busy marketplace, not standing out is the same as being invisible.”
Seth Godin, “Purple Cow”
When it comes to marketing, be a purple poodle.
Instead of being a little better (or even a lot better) than your competition, be something totally new. Be something worth remarking about.
3. Be Ready
This step is so important, because once you’re recognizable and remarkable people will give you their attention and follow you, if you’re ready.
Being ready means knowing your mission and where you want to take someone.
Many small businesses focus so much on asking someone for a first date, but aren’t actually ready for a relationship. It can be a lot of effort, time, and money just getting someone to pay attention to your small business.
You want a plan that takes a person from attraction to action so you have a predictable way of converting new customers. Get started creating your attraction to action marketing plan by registering for our free training here.
Influence Leads To Impact
Like the purple poodles, you want to stand out from the crowd to increase your influence.
By following the tips above you can expect these benefits for your business:
- Attracting the right people to your company
- Gaining organic influence within your customer base
- Increasing sales as your connect with more customers
- Being able to have a greater impact through your business
These purple poodles weren’t walking around trying to promote anything. They had no signs and were handing out no brochures. Frankly, they missed a beautiful marketing opportunity. However, they give us a tangible picture of what effective marketing can look like.
Take Your Next Steps
It’s time for you to take action on what you learned here today. Start with the next steps below to start moving your business forward.
- Leave a comment below about how this post helped you.
- Follow the steps in this post to help you connect with customers.
- Grab our free training below and accelerate your business even more.
