By Patrick McFadden

Marketing just isn’t that complicated. Oh, sure, there’s all the figuring new stuff out every new day, but really, when it comes down to it, there are only two things that actually matter.

Get these factors right – keep these factors as the basis for every business and marketing decision – and things are going to work out. On the other hand, ignore these two simple truths and growing a service will always feel like a hard, confusing struggle.

These two truths, as I’ve called them, aren’t tactics at all; they’re merely an acknowledgement of how the world expects you to run an organisation today.

1. No one talks about average – Growing a service today takes getting people talking. This is how referrals happen, PR happens, SEO happens and links happen. Let me ask you this – when’s the last time you wrote a review about a perfectly satisfying experience? You have to do something that surprises us, excites us or so clearly exceeds our expectation in ways that make us turn to Facebook to share our story. I know people get this, but why are so few stepping up and turning heads. You don’t have to revolutionise an entire industry, just do something that’s not normal.
2. Trust is always on trial – Trust is the single most important ingredient in building a successful operation. It’s the hardest thing to gain and the easiest thing to lose and it’s pretty much all that matters in the long run. Oh, and once you earn trust, know that it’s something you must earn over and over and over again. When you earn my trust I develop exceedingly high expectations that you won’t let me down and I constantly measure my experience against those expectations.

Question: Does every conversation you and your staff have about your organisation and marketing begin and end with these two things in mind?

About Patrick: Patrick McFadden is the marketing consultant to call when you want RESULTS … not just words. He is an advisor and featured marketing contributor to American Express Open Forum and has been named a marketing thought leader for small businesses. Oh, he is also a Cause & Effective Associate and would be delighted to coach your not for profit to marketing success!