Last week I received a hand-written envelope the size of an invitation. There was no return address, but I can be curious. So I opened it. Inside I found one of the worst marketing pieces for a small business owner I've ever come across. Rather than just toss it, I thought I'd shared with you. Here are 5 sure fire ways to waste your valuable marketing budget, just like this business owner.
But first, a few assumptions and disclosures.
1) This was an invitation from a financial advisor who I do not do business with.
2) This financial advisor is presumably a local small business owner who works for a larger company.
So here they are - 5 sure fire ways to waste your valuable marketing dollars:
1) Use stock photography throughout the piece. Nothing says your business gives personalized, unique service and that your customers are not just another name in your rolodex like canned, stock photography.
2) Place a prominent logo on the front of the invitation that is not your company logo when you clearly state on the inside of the invitation that the hosting firm is not an affiliate of the company logo on the front of the piece. I'm confused here!
3) Don't clearly state the benefit for me to attend this luncheon. I'm a busy woman and obviously a professional with disposable income to invest since you've pre-qualified me for this invitation. Yet you don't let me know why I should be there.
4) Host the luncheon at a chain restaurant instead of a locally-owned establishment. This shows me that you really care about our community and know our local business owners by hosting this event at a chain restaurant.
5) Make sure the back panel of your invitation is filled with legalese. This makes me really feel like I'm going to have fun at this luncheon and that I'm protected. Or wait, maybe you're protected? But from what? I thought we were just having lunch?
So what do you think? Would you have attended this luncheon after seeing this invitation?
Tomorrow on the blog, I'll share my ideas on how this small business owner could have better spent her marketing dollars.
