On the first Monday in January, I began a series called “The 12 Marketing Fundamentals You Need to Succeed in 2021.“
*Skip This If You’ve Read the Other Articles in This Series*
In my first article of the series, I laid an important foundation that I will continue to build on. In that article I said…
Based on some things I’ve been reading from the experts I follow, there are some interesting trends and predictions that are said to be coming our way in 2021.
These trends and predictions will be opportunities for people that know how to leverage them.
But I believe that the sweet spot in 2021 is the place where opportunity and the fundamentals meet.
You see, the people and companies that succeed the most are the ones that keep their eye out for opportunities and then take advantage of them by harnessing the fundamentals.
What fundamentals? The marketing fundamentals that have existed for at least 100 years and that will probably exist for at least another 100 years.
-Scott Aughtmon, The 12 Marketing Fundamentals You Need to Succeed in 2021.
The First 4 Marketing Fundamentals:
Here are the four marketing fundamentals that I’ve revealed so far are in this series:
- The first marketing fundamental is attention. Because without attention, there is no marketing.
- The second marketing fundamental is attraction. Without attraction, all the work you put into capturing their attention will be wasted.
- The third marketing fundamental is follow-up. Because two of the biggest mistakes many companies make are tied to follow-up. They don’t follow-up at all. They don’t follow-up enough.
- The fourth marketing fundamental is a unique selling proposition. Because if you’re ever going to get your prospects to choose your company, product, or service over your competition, then they have to know WHY and HOW your business is different and better than any of the other choices.
Now that you’re all caught up, you’re ready to discover the 5th marketing fundamental…
The Archer’s Secret and the 5th Marketing Fundamental You Need to Succeed in 2021
I once heard a story about a king who was hunting in a forest when he came across a tree that caught his attention. Why? Because it had several targets drawn on its trunk.
What amazed the king was that in the center of each circle was an arrow.
The king turned to his men and asked them, “Who is this amazing archer? I have to find him and recruit him for my army.”
At that moment, a boy walked by carrying a bow and a quiver of arrows.
Overhearing the king, he admitted that he was the one who had shot the arrows.
The king couldn’t believe it.
He asked the boy, “Are you sure you didn’t just push the arrows into the middle?”
But the boy said, “No, sire. I shot these arrows from a hundred paces.”
“That is amazing,” said the king in awe.
That was all the king needed to hear. He looked the boy in the eye and told him, “From now on, consider yourself to be in my service.” The boy was so happy.
But the king had to know how the boy had such incredible aim.
So the king asked the boy, “Tell me, how did you come to be such an excellent archer?”
That’s when the boy revealed his shocking secret. He said, “First, I shoot the arrow at the tree, then I paint a ring around it.”
The Secret of the Most Successful Direct Response Marketers
The secret of the most successful direct response marketers is very similar to the success secret of the boy in the story you just heard.
You see, if pick the right who, then you’ve just taken a major step towards success.
They make sure to pick the right list of people who:
- Already wants what they’re offering
- Has already purchased what they are offering
…then they offer that to that list.
The Most Important Element of a Successful Direct Response Campaign
If I get a room full of the top direct response marketers and I ask them, “What’s the most important element for a successful direct response campaign?” They will all unanimously give me the same answer.
It’s not the copy. Remember, these are people that get paid top dollar for the copy that they write but they know the most important element is not the copy.
It’s not the offer. Again, these people create amazing irresistible offers. but they know the most important element for a successful campaign is not the offer.
They will all tell you that the most important element in a successful direct response campaign is the list.
It’s the Who!
Because if you get the right, your offer doesn’t have to be perfect and you’ll still see a good response.
If you picked right who, your copy doesn’t have to be the best that’s ever been written and you’ll still see good results.
But if you pick the wrong who, you could create the best offer that has ever been created and still see hardly any results.
If you pick the wrong who you could create the most powerful copy that has ever been written, and you still will have a dud.
The Worst and Best Person to Sell Pizza To
Think about this…
How difficult would it be to get someone who hates Pizza to purchase pizza from you, no matter how good your offer is or your copy is?
Even if you offered free pizza, they wouldn’t want it.
Why? Because they hate pizza! The only offer that MIGHT work is if you offered to pay them to eat the pizza. And for some people that offer wouldn’t even work!
But now think of another person…
Think of someone who loves pizza. Someone who loves pizza of all different kinds.
Someone who buys pizza every week. Someone who loves thin crust and thick crust. Someone who constantly wants to try new places to eat pizza.
Think about the offer that will give them to purchase your pizza.
All you probably have to do is just mention that your pizza place exists and they’ll be there.
Your offer doesn’t have to be that powerful. Your copy doesn’t have to be that compelling. And you will still see a result.
That’s the difference between picking the right who and the wrong who. That’s the difference between a successful marketing campaign and an unsuccessful marketing campaign.
It’s the list. It’s the audience. It’s the who.
If you want to succeed in 2021, then you cannot forget to focus on the 5th marketing fundamental: the who.
If you target the right who in your marketing campaigns, then everything will be easier.
If you target the wrong who, then even with the same exact marketing everything will be more difficult.
The key is going to be picking the right who. In my next article, I’ll reveal one of the criteria for the right who.
Catch Up on What You Missed in This Series
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In the meantime, if you want to catch up on the previous marketing fundamentals I’ve already revealed, then click here. (There are currently 22 previous articles in this series.)
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