Be a Rebel To Improve Your Marketing Results

marketing strategy decisionsIf you work in marketing in a large company one thing some crave is to do things differently.

This is partly the ego speaking.

However it is often a case of wanting to achieve more than average results.

As a small business owner you don’t have to follow any head office rules and you can be original to grow your business.

And yet many don’t.

Perhaps it is because of wanting to belong and feel comfortable that makes them want to be the same or do the same as everyone else.

Or is it because some are not sure or not know enough to break from the norm and follow their own path?

This complicates your marketing for you and makes it harder for your customers to choose your products or services.

The first step in simplifying your marketing is to have a focused marketing strategy.

You and your competitors

Every day you can see the same tactics are used in the same way, products and services presented identically to each other etc.

An example of this is using email as a marketing tactic. The common advice is you should set up a series of articles and then deliver them over a period of weeks to subscribers.  Often these articles also share what you can put into the series.

Now imagine if you and your competitors follow this in exactly the way it has been suggested. If potential customers are signed up to receive both what they get is the same thing in the same way without any differentiation.

This approach may have the opposite affect to what you intended with potential customers.

The advantages of being a rebel

  • You learn to think more strategically than just doing the same as everyone else
  • You can use the power of simplicity as a competitive advantage
  • You look to gain more than average results with all aspects of your marketing
  • You explore ways to develop products or services that are not me-too that your customers want to buy
  • Your mind and actions are focused on improvement for both your business and customers
  • Your products or services will not be mistaken for your competitors

As more businesses go online differentiation will become more important I believe especially if you are looking to have a growing and profitable business.

As a small business marketer and the head honcho marketer the best thing is that there is no head office to say no to your initiatives.

Being and doing the same as everyone else is a little boring don’t you think?

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21 Responses to Be a Rebel To Improve Your Marketing Results

  1. Paul Hassing says:

    I agree, Susan! I firmly believe the extraordinary latitude MYOB allows on the Small Business Owner blog frees us to make it a very different space indeed. Once again, every word you write is true. Best regards, P. :)

    • Susan Oakes says:

      MYOB is a great example Paul and does stand out form other similar blogs.

      Thanks for sharing this :)

  2. Paul Hassing says:

    I’m so pleased you feel that way, Susan. Your frequent, high-calibre contributions have certainly helped us get where we are today. :)

    • Susan Oakes says:

      That is very kind of you Paul. I would say it is more the way you encourage discussion and participation without ever judging. Not to mention your sense of humour.
      Looking forward to reading today’s article.

  3. BizSugar.com says:

    Be a Rebel to Improve Your Marketing Results…

    As a small business owner you don’t have to follow any head office rules and you can be original to grow your business. And yet many don’t.Here are 5 advantages of being a rebel with your marketing….

  4. Joeyboy says:

    This post is very helpful. Thanks for sharing!

    Being and doing the same as everyone else is a little boring don’t you think?— I agree!!
    Joeyboy recently posted..Joeyboy’s First 5k RunMy Profile

  5. Susan — I agree and I’m registered for updates with a lot of social media mavens so I receive a lot of auto-responder email campaigns. I find that I’m tending to ignore them more and more. I’d love to hear some examples of how you became a rebel. You live far enough away from me that maybe I can use them!
    Jeannette Paladino recently posted..July 4th is a Day to Celebrate Life, Liberty and the Heart and Soul in WritingMy Profile

    • Susan Oakes says:

      Hi Jeannette,

      I am doing the same and now unsubscribing. Good question. From when I started in marketing I always asked a question “is there a better way of doing something”, instead of just accepting what others say is the norm, how it has always been done or the way it should be done. This related to the development of the actual products, the positioning, communication etc.

      I guess my newsletter is a small one. Instead of the responder or having a few articles in each newsletter, I know small business owners don’t have time but must take action, so I send out a short newsletter each week with simple action steps they can follow. From the stats and emails I get it seems to be working. Another example is a pet project of mine which is still in the early stages is helping small business owners get out of the project mindset so they can have a better cash flow throughout and keep customers a lot longer.

      Hope this answers your question and if you want any more information just let me know.

  6. Agree with you Susan. You have to be a rebel in order to differentiate yourself and your products.

    Honestly believe that many times when it comes to multinationals they are “stuck in a rut” because the Senior VP for Marketing/Communications whatever title he/she has unfortunately doesn’t allow staff to be more creative than they are. It’s lamentable that this is so common, not least when it comes to profit for those multinationals.
    Catarina Alexon recently posted..Is Soros right – Could the Euro crisis destroy the European Union?My Profile

    • Susan Oakes says:

      Hi Catarina,

      It is funny I was first able to be a rebel working in multinationals. In those days although you had to put your arguments up we were encouraged to think strategically and if we had a better way it was okay. Today I don’t see it as much and for marketers it means they are more tactically oriented which is a shame.

  7. Thanks, Susan, for your thoughtful response. I don’t that I would call you a rebel so much as someone who understands the needs of her audience and is responding to them in an appropriate way.
    Jeannette Paladino recently posted..Does Facebook’s Deal With Skype Matter?My Profile

  8. Hi there. Stopping by from the BHB group on LinkedIn. Great post! I like the idea of stepping out of the box to be heard. Thanks for the info! I look forward to seeing you at The Hugging Home!

    Cheers,

    Lora
    Lora Rossi (The Hugging Home) recently posted..Attraction: It’s the Law!My Profile

    • Susan Oakes says:

      Hi Lora,

      Glad you came over from the group and your comment. I will be over to check out your post.

  9. Oh…. yes! Differentiation! It’s one of the first lessons I learned from the SBA consultant I first worked with and I’ve heard the same message from other marketing gurus as well. Thanks Susan. It’s a timely reminder and a message that can’t be communicated too often.
    Sherryl Perry recently posted..Google+ Social Network – Part of Your Business Strategy?My Profile

    • Susan Oakes says:

      It is good the consultant was able to help you learn this Sherryl. One thing to note is it is much easier to have a real differentiation versus a perceived differentiation. Many small business go the perceived path which can take more time and/or money to have any result.

  10. Kim Davies says:

    Hi, Susan.

    I’d like to say different or an individual all its own rather than rebel. Hehehe! It has a more positive note to it, don’t you think? ;)

    The good thing about being different is that you don’t have to work much at it except be yourself. If others think that it is unconventional, so be it. As long as it is you. And, if it brings more fans than what the conventional and safe gain, then awesome!

    Great to be here again, Susan. Hope all is well with you. :)
    Kim
    Kim Davies recently posted..It’s All About Going after What You Want — Living and 3D RenderingMy Profile

    • Susan Oakes says:

      Good to see you here again Kim and for an individual good point about being yourself. It is funny when I choose the word rebel I was thinking of brands and people who went against the norm such as Richard Branson and were a positive influence.

      • Kim Davies says:

        We can all be rebels in our own way, Susan. Those big names are just more known because they profess in a big way their difference, while others do it in a more understated way.Being true to yourself and showing your unique side despite all the norms, rules and regulations is already being a rebel for me, Susan,even if it is just in our own little ways.

        Enjoy your weekend! :)
        Kim Davies recently posted..Stop Being Ignorant. Educate Yourself. Get More Out of Life and 3D RenderingsMy Profile

        • Susan Oakes says:

          I agree with you Kim and I was thinking of him when he started out not now. One example I like which was against the norm is the story of Wall Drug store and the couple who started the business during the great depression.

          Thanks for the discussion and you have a great weekend too :)

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