I recently wrote a blog (www.WATTAgNet.com/158107.html) on how to market animal nutrition products, but several readers emailed me to say this was a recipe on how to market "success" itself. That is, if you already do something right, then how do you let others know about it?
Here's my "recipe":
1. Write the book.
If you're selling organic acids, write a book about organic acids or even better about gut health in piglets! Don't expect to make any money selling the book, and be prepared for an extensive time commitment. But, it does work.
2. Write an article .
If writing a book is too much time commitment, then write a series of but highly target articles on a specific topic. Avoid advertorials, because these are old-fashioned and very transparent replacements for advertisements. Write for the benefit of a publication's readers and they will reward you. I hate to repeat myself, but please, do not write about your specific products!
3. Publish a newsletter .
Easier said than done, but if you avoid the trap of talking (again) about your products, it can be a considerable image-improvement vehicle. Don't publish one every week, keep it frequent (3 to 4 per year) or if you have lots of information to share, do one per month.
4. Organize a conference .
This is where big companies spend their money; only because it works the best. After the conference, write that book or article! But, before you embark on a conference think hard about the theme, topic and speakers. Make the event worth attending from an educational point of view.
5. Organize a webinar .
Everybody in on the Internet and if you cannot afford a conference, try a webinar! It sounds easy enough, and they tell me it is. However, it takes some thinking, like a conference to find the right topic to talk about (or your audience will be checking their emails while you talk!)
6. Start blogging .
But, don't expect people to come to your website because you have a blog. Today, nobody visits commercial websites for fun. They do it because they need something specific, and this is not enough Internet traffic to justify your time writing a blog. Instead, get it delivered to email accounts (after asking permission) or get your blog associated with a high-traffic website.
You can do all these by yourself, or through expert consultants that do such things for a living. But, no matter what avenue you select, make sure you partner with someone who really understands your market.
