Ongoing marketing is the only way to secure an ongoing client stream. ​

Now, function trumps form
Web design is a wonderful thing and a great place to start, but that’s where it stops. A splashy website was enough in the late 90’s when not everyone had a website. It’s now more effective to have a website that gets you clients than to have a cool-looking website. The best of both worlds is: (1) a website that effectively gets you clients and (2) one that continues your brand design and esthetic. You can be both successful and maintain your image, but let’s make sure “successful” isn’t sacrificed because of old marketing ideas.

Modern marketing
Today’s (successful) marketing technology teaches that after many decades, we in the West, are “sold out.” Or, rather, we are all tired of being “sold to” and would rather make up our own mind (thank you very much) after becoming educated on our looming purchase.

So, we must help our prospective clients become educated about what we offer and, more importantly, what they must look for and how to make a good purchasing decision. It’s called “The Buyers Journey.” (Okay, I won’t asked what to name it.) There’s also something called “A Pain Point” (perhaps a psychological term) which means that all decisions to spend money start out emotionally, then are immediately rationalized. This references the “point” at which something has to be done and action taken.

Note: All purchases come about because of one phrase and how it relates to the purchaser… “How can this ___ make my life easier or better.” This holds true whether you’re buying cosmetics, tires, a concert ticket, or a commercial building in Manhattan.

So now, we need to find these potential customers, then educate them in a not-too-pushy-way to choose us instead of our competition. That takes regular marketing at a watering hole (social media platform) they frequent on a regular basis.

Why regular marketing?
It takes 7-14 days (maybe more) to educate a prospective client, start a dialogue, and make it obvious to them to purchase from you through many eBook, videos, ads, and Zoom meetings. And let’s say you need several new clients a month, each month, forever. Then you need to always be doing this in a regular, effective way. Enter CRMs. (Customer Relationship Management). These tools help keep track of all that is happening with a client’s marketing plan.

An easy visual example
Cook a pound of spaghetti, drain it, and pour it on a platter that is about 24 x 12 inches. This is effectively a representation flow chart of all the ins-and-outs of a regular marketing plan and how difficult it is to track. CRMs make it much easier to keep track of the smallest minutia and (most importantly) keep track of what is working (getting clients) and isn’t working. And the best ones, until recently, are extremely expensive except for the corporations that could afford mega-marketing companies and their 6-figure (plus) fees.

Where small to mid-sized companies typically fall short
Regular marketing is where small and mid-size companies fall short. They can’t afford the mega-marketing agencies but still need marketing help. Now, there are a few new CRMs being created that are more focused on this segment of the market. Unlike the top CRMs that cost thousands per month and need a team to run them properly, these newer CRMs need a much smaller team (one?) that is well-trained to accomplish a successful marketing campaign.

Creatives are still needed
Remember our “eBook, videos, and ads”? Well, they will need to be created and tested against each other to constantly improve results. The new CRMs make that easier too.

Faster than organic SEO
Testing ads for effectiveness is a good feature; you can know within days, not months (like SEO), whether you’re being effective or not.

Introducing Avatar Marketing Works (AMW)
After working with numerous marketing agencies over many decades, I and my team have created a place for those that can’t afford the big mega-marketing agencies. AMW was created by me, Doug Gobel. I’ve been a graphic designer and web developer since before the internet became the internet. Using a new system that started in Australia and is now available in the US, I have brought together writers, coders, and social media marketers in a modular way to create a team sized for exactly what small to mid-sized companies need – and nothing more.

Our offices (do I need to say it?) are in our homes, cutting out overhead. We offer a competitive service for a competitive fee, and are comfortable to be pulled in and released as needed.

Post-COVID world
At AMW, we believe that a la carte marketing, with better prices and no required contracts, is the future.

You have no doubt heard of “The Great Resignation,” and all of our team members were affected by COVID shutdowns. With AMW, their at-home workspaces provide more stability and continuity than old-fashioned offices which may face lockdowns in the future.

Let’s set up a strategy session, look at your current website, and talk about possibilities moving forward.