Internet's marketing myopia

On internet marketing terms, SEO, keywords and tagging are among important or focused aspects to be considered. Keywords are one or more words used by internet user when using search engine like Google or Yahoo search. The importance of this element has driven internet marketer and web developer to focus his or her attention on targeting the right user with the most effective keywords and tags. Then come hegemony of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) that rules everybody. Software are even developed to facilitate this need : ways to define the most effective and successful keywords! Believe it or not, this trend of SEOs has lead internet marketer to what so called by Marketing Guru like Philip Kottler and Garry Armstrong : Marketing Myopia. This myopia as uttered by Ralp Waldo Emerson : ... if a man makes a better mousetrap…the world will beat a path to his door.....”. One of a better mouse trap was laser mouse trap costing $1,500 and failed to market. Same thing goes, marketer might think that by building a better mouse trap (effective keywords) then profitable sales shall automatically be on hand. Well, that’s no naïve and definitely a marketing myopia! Yes, you might gain a certain high level of hits and clicks due to your effective keywords, but it won’t be worth without acceptable sales turnover and profits! By theory, the higher probability of people clicking your links or sites, the higher chance of sales you earn. But remember a simple fact that your customer (internet user) do not buy your keywords but contents, products or services that you offered through the links or sites. When their needs and wants are not in a line with your product proposition, you simply fail to market.

There is another point that internet marketer should see. It is the fact that in any market and any customer, there should be “dynamics”. There’s nothing such as a “static” market in term of behavior, trend, and adoption of product or services. This principle applies in internet marketing as well. If you think that a certain keyword will be as effective as your first launching, well think again. If you consider that your sites looks and features shall always be compatible with your user’s needs and wants, it’s a bit naïve. Most SEO software works on an empirical (given) data. As a modern day marketer you should never be blinded by the statistics. It is indeed a useful tool but you should consider other factors as well, such as unseen potential changes or trends on your market. This is your only option to survive in marketing any products or services in any markets!

Fine-tuning your uniqueness (USP)

It's a good start that you become one of a kind, a unique personality as perceived by your target market. But second to this advantage is an ability to adapt to the market condition. Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is merely a potential that you need to enhance as to achieve your profit objectives. USP solely may speak itself of who you are or what your abilities are, but could not instantly attract your market. You must prepare yourself as well as the market to the idea of adopting your products or services. There should be a bridge for customer and you. When I imply a bridge, it won't simply imply communications like educating consumers but mainly fine-tuning your product features in order to be an effective products or services that fulfill customer needs or wants. Recently Coke has launched "Coca Cola zero". Its USP of "a low calorie (no sugar) soft drink" surely speaks for "healthy diet" customers. I believe the company has prepared the products, campaigns to educate the markets of its "uniqueness" thoroughly. Otherwise the products shall become only a variant of drinks on the store shelves. Speaking of USP, this giant legendary company has a strong commitment to maintain its' loyal customers, by fully understading the dynamic of its customer behaviour that evolves from time to time.
Surely It's the only way to survive : adaptability to changes in order to survive.

How special are you? : A critical question to ask before starting a business

As a starter in small buiness, what should we do once we have a good business idea? Well, you should evaluate it prior to execution. Good idea is a good start but you might as well have to consider one critical question: what is your niche, your specialness?

DR. Lynda Falkenstein emphasized this concept in “Nichecraft”(1996): “..Eliminating the competition (without bloodshed), distinguishing your business from everyone else’s,and getting the right customers clamoring for your product or service in any economy are the most basic requirements for business success today. Whether you are running a small “Mom and Pop” operation or are CEO of a major corporation, the rule applies: you can no longer simply compete against anyone in a similar field. Not if you want to win, that is. The fact is , you win by being perceived as special, singular, unique, one of a kind. You must create a niche that you own, that nobody can steal or take from you, and that achieves your goals…….”

In this tight competition world, you have to be “special” in order to stand out of the crowd”. Once you chose to become average guy ,you surely become a commodity. Thus, your business should have a certain position in customer mind. Position that differentiate you profitably compare to others. As Regis McKenna once said in his “The Regis Touch:Million Dollar Advice from America’s Top Marketing Consultant”(1985): “ …Product Positioning must be the first step. The idea behind product positioning is simple. To gain a strong product position, a company must differentiate its produsts from all other products on the market. The goal is to give the product a unique position in the marketplace…..”

That way, you shall have a very strong fundamental for business success.