Many consultants think that an IT marketing campaign has to cost a lot of money and spend $1,000 or more on glossy advertisements or brochures.
No Poor Positioning
Often consultants will spend a lot of money on an expensive ad then have a horrible IT marketing position. For example, in a headline I recently saw for an ad was “Computer Repair, I Come to You.” “I Come to You” will not set you apart from the rest. If you are doing just retail business, that is a nice benefit. But most computer services firms don’t go after retail customers these days. Come up with a unique IT marketing message in your headline to grab attention.
IT Marketing: Don’t Talk about Price
The next part of the ad stated, “Computer Repair A+ and Microsoft Certified Professional, Repairs, Upgrades, One-on-One Lessons and Tutoring.” This statement is, again, nothing unique. But half of the ad also was big letters with a color screen behind it that stated “Don’t pay $40, $60 or $80 an hour for computer repair! Call us!” And a retail coupon next to the screen bragged about “$20 an hour, in-home service.” This IT marketing message is the biggest and most classic mistake in the business.
A List of IT Marketing Mistakes
1. There is no target. This company is trying to go after the local seven million small businesses. The ad is not narrowing it down to SMALL businesses even, and the company will go out and do anything for $20 an hour, no matter how simple or complex.
2. The business is advertising price. $20 per hour is not a sustainable price. Even with a 75% utilization rate, this company will not even break even. They will make MAYBE $600 weekly.
3. This company is unoriginal. As an IT consultant, you need to think about which qualities will make your IT marketing campaign unique and narrow down your focus on specialization.
Blogged By: Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit
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