Does Your Small Business Marketing Suffer From The Bulldog Effect?

If you're an entrepreneur responsible for your own small business marketing, there's a marketing method you should avoid at all costs, which I've coined the bulldog effect for reasons you will understand shortly. Keep reading to find out if you're guilty of using this technique in your own marketing and learn how to fix it.

After a recent weekend jaunt to San Diego, my husband and I arrived back in Los Angeles tired and hungry, so we walked the small handful of blocks to a local all-night diner to grab a quick bite to eat. And it was there that we were smacked in the face with an example of unusual small business marketing, to say the least.

We live near a shopping district where small businesses cater to everyone from people like my husband and myself to the elderly from the retirement homes nearby. And it was one store catering to this population of older citizens that had us in hysterics when we should have been concentrating on finding some grub.

Your products sell themselves? Think again

You might think a shop selling wheelchairs would have it easy in such a neighborhood -- a huge target audience planted right there, a captive audience if you will. And you'd be right. During the day, you see almost as many disabled elderly individuals out shopping as you do younger/able-bodied people.

So from the sounds of things, maybe small business marketing tactics aren't as important for a shop like this because the products practically sell themselves. Right? Wrong.

Despite the fact that I am not the target audience, I am a marketer and take notice of new marketing approaches so that I can try them out myself and share them with subscribers to my small business marketing newsletter. But that night, my husband and I just wanted a bite to eat.

Some things you can't ignore

As we walked, however, there was no way to miss the latest marketing efforts of the shop in question. This shop, which features very little in the way of shopfront advertising, had put an oversized poster in the window to promote a new model of wheelchair ... complete with a grumpy, overweight bulldog planted right in the middle of it.

Sure, it's lovely that the dog's fanged underbite finally got the recognition it deserved. And of course the wheelchair came across loud and clear as the other "hero," the main focus of the image ... other than the dog sprawled across the seat, smiling that is. (I am also almost certain that a wheelchair wholesaler created this poster and not the store itself.)

And you bet the poster got our attention. However, displayed as prominently as it was, the poster overshadowed any credibility the store might otherwise have had in terms of their expertise in finding less-able people the right wheelchair for their needs. Why? Because apparently, they also help pedigreed pooches do the same.

Of course I say this in jest, but use this as a lesson for your own small business marketing materials. No, I'm not suggesting that you have an image of a bulldog on your homepage or in your catalog -- and if you do and it makes sense, by all means continue to do so.

Rather, take this bulldog story as an analogy to your own marketing and think of ways to make your small business marketing message clearer and more meaningful to your target audience.

Rid your own campaigns of the bulldog effect

Here are some questions to get you thinking about your own small business marketing:

1) Whether we're talking about a simple website, a brochure or even just your business card, are you marketing yourself the way you want to be perceived by your customers?

2) Some use of characters (comic book characters, superheroes, etc.) is effective when used appropriately. Are you using the right type of character to set the tone for your business? Think critically about how others might perceive your campaigns.

3) Trusting your own instincts is dangerous without a reality check. Ask some of your customers what they think of your current marketing. Bear in mind that if they are customers, they are, in fact, buying from you despite any protests they may have with your marketing approach, so take their feedback with a grain of salt.

4) Ask strangers to your business what they think of your current marketing. These should not be people you know or else they will not be as candid.

5) Test everything! Regardless of what approach you take, test one version against the next to see what sells more. Experiment. Mix and match. But measure your results so that you know that your bulldog should be removed. Or not.

In closing, first impressions count, and you need to ensure that the message you're broadcasting to your prospects is the right one. Use this tail -- I mean, tale -- to see if there's anything you can improve in your own small business marketing.

Copywriter/marketing strategist Jennifer McCay helps individuals and small businesses turn their expertise into marketing success stories. She is the publisher of the Avenues to Marketing Success Newsletter, which delivers tips to help you rev up your small business marketing. To subscribe and receive a FREE special report on 7 ways to improve your sales copy, head to http://AvenueEast.com

---

11 Things Small Business Owners Can Learn From Tiger

1. There Are No "gimmes" ? They count two-foot putts... Read More

Small Business Spoiler - Procrastination

One of the most common issues that comes up for... Read More

Small Business Security No Passing Fad

How careful are you with the data you collect from... Read More

Choosing A Business Thats Right For You

Q: I really want to start my own business, but... Read More

Business Success - The 42 Greatest Business Tips

What does it take to grow a business and run... Read More

Small Businesses You Can Start in Automotive

There are many choices when thinking about a small business... Read More

Your Practice is Only as Valuable as Your Referral Base

Many physical therapists in private practice have the appearance of... Read More

Starting a Pressure Washing Business

Are you thinking of starting a small pressure washer business... Read More

10 Best Practices to Consider as Your SBIR Negotations Approach Contract Signature

10 Best Practices to consider as your SBIR negotiations approach... Read More

5 GREAT WAYS to Gain New Contacts

What are the 5 best ways to gain new contacts?There... Read More

How to Profit from Business Consulting Opportunities

Business consulting opportunities might be just what your are looking... Read More

Are You Running Your Business or Is Your Business Running You?

Being a small or home-based business owner can be loads... Read More

How to Curb Antique Shop Theft Inexpensively

If you have ever had your antique shop or mall... Read More

Collaborative Negotiating: A Win-Win Strategy

COLLABORATIVE NEGOTIATING:Collaborative negotiating is a win-win strategy that can focus... Read More

Success & The Nature of Things

The story is told of a tiger chasing some goats... Read More

Get Out Of The Rut And Back On the Track

Do you sometimes find yourself just going "through the motions"... Read More

Marketing a New or Small Business on a Budget

There are almost as many opinions and views on marketing... Read More

Change May Be Your Ace in the Hole

Whether it has been thrust upon you by external market... Read More

Procrastinate Your Way To A Successful Small Business

What will your business look like a year from today?If... Read More

Survival Tips For Your Small Business

No matter type of business you operate you've got to... Read More

Firing Underperforming Employees in Your Small Business

Here are a few tips on how to hand out... Read More

Small Business No How - Dont Give Away the Farm

You're pretty proud of yourself! After all, only four months... Read More

How to Protect Yourself & Your Business

As a business owner, you already know how important it... Read More

Winning in Business - Lessons from Lance Armstrong

Lance Armstrong this week won an unprecedented 7th Tour de... Read More

There Is Security in Change... But Use Caution

It has been said that the only constant is change.... Read More

Questions to Ask as Your Business Grows

Here are some of the questions that you need to... Read More

Mobile Car Wash Market Opportunities in California

The current lack of industry leaders represents an exceptional opportunity... Read More

Retail Customer Opportunities for Pressure Washing Companies

Pressure washing companies must look for customers in the retail... Read More

6 Steps to a Successful Medical Spa Expansion

According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, since... Read More

Small Business Operators - 7 Reasons You Should Change Your Accountant

A recent survey showed that only 28.7% of small business... Read More

Cabinet Refacing Business Opportunities

With all the cabinet refacing business opportunities out there, you... Read More

Small Business and Branding ? Why and How?

When we speak of branding most of the time people... Read More

A Look at Small Business Incorporating in Florida

The choice to incorporate a small business in Florida has... Read More