The 7 Foundational Laws Of Marketing That Every Business Must Follow

Sunday, August 14, 2022

Insights/Marketing/The 7 Foundational Laws Of Marketing That Every Business Must Follow

Like most everything in life, marketing comes down to a few foundational rules that one should master if they ever hope to grow a business.

There are thousands upon thousands of tactics within marketing... but, at the root of it, there are only a handful of foundational rules (laws) that matter: 

#1 - Know The Problem That You Solve OR The Desire That You Fulfill

This rule might seem a little basic, but it's actually one that many businesses and entrepreneurs don't do well. They can't clearly articulate the core reason for why their customers will buy their product or service.

There's a hard and fast rule in marketing - if your customer doesn't know the exact benefit that you offer within 3 seconds of encountering your business, you're failing.

Think about it this way:

  • ​How many websites have you gone to where you have a general idea of what the company/person does but aren't exactly clear as to why you would buy from them?
  • ​How many people have you spoken to who pitch you on their business and provide only a vague overview of what they do?
  • ​How many products have you looked at that you've had to wonder what the heck it does?

Chances are, in each of these scenarios, you "bounce" (meaning you leave without investigating any further). The vague benefit that they were communicating wasn't clear enough to hook you in for more.

Conversely, how many times have you:

  • ​Come across a website where the benefit was so clear and specific that you couldn't resist opting in or buying whatever they were offering?
  • ​Saw a product that you immediately knew the benefits it would provide to your life or business?
  • ​Talked to a person who was so hyper-specialized in what they do that they stuck in your mind - and, even years later, you can still remember what they do?

In the latter examples, the benefits were most likely very clear, specific, and focused. There wasn't any reason for you to walk away feeling confused. You knew the benefit immediately and made a quick decision on whether or not to continue.

It is for this reason that ALL of your marketing should quickly bring people to the realization of the core problem you solve or desire you fulfill, no exceptions.

#2 - Find The Right Distribution Channels For Your Industry

Distribution channels are often only thought of in retail/reseller markets where a product is sent throughout the distributer's network... but the concept applies to all marketing.

In fact, no marketing happens without a distribution channel. To understand this better, we need to understand what distribution channels are.

To put it simply, distribution channels are any medium by which a message is communicated to more than one person. That's it. Anything that meets that criteria can be considered a distribution channel.

To provide some examples:

  • ​Search engines are distribution channels
  • ​Social media platforms are distribution channels
  • ​Newspapers and magazines are distribution channels
  • ​Chambers of Commerce and professional associations are distribution channels
  • ​Word of mouth and referrals are distribution channels
  • ​Podcasts and radio are distribution channels
  • ​Email is a distribution channel
  • ​Direct mail is a distribution channel
  • ​Billboards and signs are distribution channels
  • ​Standing on a podium in a busy town square and shouting at the top of your lungs is a distribution channel

Now that you know what distribution channels are, the next question is - which channels do your customers pay attention to... and in what order of priority?

For example, a rain-gutter installation business is likely going to best catch their customer's attention via the direct mail channel first, then search engines, then newspapers/magazines (a local one), and, finally, word of mouth/referrals after that.

It wouldn't make much sense for this specific business to focus on social media, billboards, or other channels where their customers are not as likely to pay attention to their offerings. The fact of the matter is that customers give different channels different kinds of attention, so it's important to know that and select the channels that work best for the business type.

#3 - Follow "The Law Of Attention"

There is a foundational concept in marketing that every marketer should follow - the law of attention.

While this law has gone by many names, its basic premise is that all marketing begins when attention is caught. That's because you can't communicate a message to a person if you don't have their attention.

The human brain is inundated with stimuli by the thousands per hour. In an effort to make sense of it all, the brain ignores almost all of it and focuses in on:

  • ​What the person wants to focus on.
  • What is considered out-of-place for the environment they are in (relating back to primitive instincts for survival in the wild).

With that, to capture attention, a marketer needs to align with what a person wants to focus on... or needs to create a scenario that seems out of place for the environment their customers are in. This will be different in each different distribution channel.

  • ​In search engines, content that answer a specific question that they are looking for is most likely to capture a customer's attention.
  • In social media, a "pattern-interrupt" (something out of the ordinary) is most likely to capture a customer's attention.
  • In print marketing, an odd-shaped or colored mailer is most likely to capture a customer's attention.

The differences of what works best in each distribution channel will almost always align to what "state" the customer is in when they are in that channel. The most common three states that marketers need to pay attention to are:

  • ​The "Searcher" State: an active state of mind where a customer is intentionally searching for information, a service, or a product for a specific problem or desire that they have.
  • The "Viewer" State: a passive state of mind where a customer is focused on watching something that entertains them. This might be an event, a show on TV, or a feed on social media.
  • The "Autopilot" State: a passive state of mind where a customer is doing something routine (and often mundane).

These 3 states are of particular interest in marketing because they are the best states for marketers to capture attention from. It is less likely for marketers to snag attention when a customer is in a "focus" state, so it's not worth creating an approach to do so.

With that said, each channel will have a tendency to create common attention states of the customers in that channel. It is important to know these and tailor your messaging to it.

#4 - Create Messaging Specific To The Attention State of Each Channel

To continue the concept conveyed in #3 above (The Law of Attention), each distribution channel tends to place their audience in a certain attention state. Each of these attention states then tend to have a type of messaging that makes the most sense for capturing attention.

For example:

  • ​Social Media and traditional media (TV/movies/radio) channels tend to put their audience in the "viewer state" where a bold pattern-interrupt is the best kind of messaging.
  • ​Search engines tend to put their audience in the "searcher state" where a good headline that matches what they are looking for will catch their attention, and good content will keep their attention.
  • ​In-person stores and venues, as well as regular everyday activities (like work or driving), tend to put people in the "autopilot state" where a more subtle pattern-interrupt is the best kind of messaging to catch their attention.

With these examples laid out, it is important to note that using the wrong messaging type in the wrong channel can lead to less than optimal outcomes in your marketing. That's not to say that the wrong messaging type can't work, but that you're more likely to see a better return when you align the messaging type to the distribution channel.

#5 - Work Or Buy Your Way Into Channels

As is mentioned in one of the best marketing books of all time, Traffic Secrets, there are two ways in to almost any distribution channel. You can work your way in by organically earning attention, or you can buy your way in by paying money to access the channel (and will hopefully gain attention as a result).

Both of these methods work, however, each has its own benefits and drawbacks.

Working your way in: Taking the time to work your way in to a distribution channel is one of the best long game strategies that you can have. It is the most sustainable form of marketing and should never be overlooked. It's biggest drawback is that it can take quite a bit of time and effort.

Some examples of "working your way in" are:

  • ​Writing top-of-the-line content that answers a searcher's questions through SEO.
  • ​Recording videos for video-streaming channels that answer people's questions, give them a unique insight, or inspire them to make a change in their life.
  • ​Collaborating with others in your industry to create content for your audience (and theirs) to co-consume.
  • ​Creating a documentary that offers a unique perspective in your niche and offers answers to a hard to solve problem.
  • ​Going above and beyond to make sure that any customer you have is nothing short of amazed by your product/service (so that they recommend and refer).

Given the difficulty and time requirements there are with working your way in, not many people tend to do it consistently over time. That means that there is always opportunity to gain more business through working your way in to distribution channels.

Buying your way in: If you'd like to shortcut the time it takes to access your ideal customers, spending money to access their attention is a great way to do it. There is no hiding the fact that this can be the fastest way to results.... and that it can also be the fastest way to failure. Buying your way into a distribution channel definitely requires some skill.

To cover some examples of "buying your way in":

  • ​Buying advertisements in a channel of your choosing (e.g. Instagram, Magazine, etc.).
  • ​Paying others to promote your brand to their audience (e.g. celebrity or influencer endorsements or shout-outs).
  • ​Buying a banner ad on a website in your niche that has good web traffic.

As with any shortcut in life, buying your way in can be a bit of a gamble. Sometimes you win gloriously, and sometimes you fail miserably. The key is to be willing to roll the dice enough times to figure out what works well to create consistency for securing leads at a cost you can afford.

If you're someone who is more tolerant to risks and aren't afraid to make mistakes, adjust, and try again then "buying your way" in is a great strategy to employ. On the other hand, if you're someone who isn't comfortable with betting the farm and hoping that you'll win the empire then "working your way in" might be a great strategy to employ.

Either way, the vast majority of businesses should really be focusing on both of these strategies. That's because if you focus only on "working your way" in then you might run out of juice before hitting critical mass... and if you focus only on "buying your way in" then you might run out of money before you find the secret sauce.

By having a good mix of the two - in the right channels, with the right messaging, and solving the right problems/desires - you are more likely to accelerate quickly and then sustain momentum over time. Success will follow.

#6 Recognize That The Goal Of Marketing Is To Get A Lead, Not A Sale

Many entrepreneurs and business leaders get marketing and sales mixed up. They think that marketing should drive sales, and sales should drive leads. They're sorely mistaken.

The goal of marketing is to capture attention and build interest, whereas the goal of sales is to persuade opinion/belief and initiate an exchange of value. Yes, marketing and sales operate in tandem... but they are very distinct.

Given this fact, it should be noted that marketing is measured in #1: traffic and #2: leads. It is not measured in sales... because sales is measured in sales. If you mix up your tracking of these 3 metrics (traffic, leads, and sales) and what drives them, you can mess up your entire business. It's best to clearly differentiate these metrics and the activities that drive them.

From the marketing perspective, the reality is that getting a person to raise their hand to say "I'm interested in this type of product/service and am willing to give you my contact information" is the golden ticket to marketing. That is what we classify as a "lead", and should be the ultimate goal of your marketing program.

#7 - Most People Buy Over Time, Play Into This Fact

Once you've generated a lead, your marketing is still not done (most of the time). That's because the vast majority of people buy over time.

Unless they are in a store or in an ecommerce platform (like Amazon) where they are actively buying in the moment, most customers need more information and time to make their buying decisions.

In their mind, giving you their contact information was a big give. They had to have a certain level of interest, and a certain level of trust in you, to give you this information. Moving to the next stage where they give you their money will require even more interest and trust. Marketing will help you to build these.

Think about it this way - how many times have you opened up a shopping app on a website, picked up a product in a store, or visited a webpage for a product/service that you were interested in... only to leave a few moments later without buying?

The chances are that you do this quite often. It's just human tendency.

On this same note, how many times have you purchased a product or service from a person or business who had been marketing to you for weeks, months, or even years before you decided to buy?

Again, the chances are likely that you do this often as well. It takes you time to buy... and your customers are no different.

That's why you need a way to market to your leads over the long term. To provide some examples of this, you might:

  • ​Put them into an email indoctrination sequence that introduces them to your brand quickly, and then consistently send them relevant emails over time until they become a buyer (or unsubscribe from your list).
  • ​Add them to a print newsletter that is sent to their home or business every month or quarter (yes, the power of print is still very much alive and well).
  • ​Include them in text message campaigns where you invite them to read/watch content that you just put out OR ask them to join you for an event.

Recap/Takeaways

As a business owner or marketer, results are the name of game for you. You either get them or you find another path in life. It is with that sentiment that we can recap the laws that we covered in this article.

If your results aren't what you want them to be currently then it would be wise to review these 7 laws and identify where your marketing is not following them. Here's a quick-view of them for easy reference:

  • Know The Problem That You Solve OR The Desire That You Fulfill
  • Find The Right Distribution Channels For Your Industry
  • Follow "The Law Of Attention"
  • Create Messaging Specific To The Attention State of Each Channel
  • Work Or Buy Your Way Into Channels
  • Recognize That The Goal Of Marketing Is To Get A Lead, Not A Sale
  • Most People Buy Over Time, Play Into This Fact

That's not to say that these are the only factors in marketing that matter, but that they are the foundation of marketing that will set your business up for success. Once you've honed in on these laws and tailored your marketing to align to them then, and only then, should you move on to other marketing tactics and strategies.

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