No need to invest!
Takes little or no time!
Cash rolls in immediately!
No learning curve!
GUARANTEED!
I proudly consider myself an “accidental marketer.” I’m more marketer in name than I am in practice.
I’m a tools and tactics guy. If I can pass off the messaging, massaging and schmoozing to someone else, I will.
You see, I suck at hard sell deceit. I’m not going to give you a smile and a guarantee for an easy, quick fix that anyone can pull off (queue image of stacks of money).
This isn’t a humble brag. It’s an acknowledgment of the money I likely leave on the table as well as an indictment of the state of marketing today.
I know the guaranteed quick fix sells. And I see it all day long in my Facebook News Feed as another marketer tries to sell it to me.
People want easy. They want cheap. And they want it now.
And I also know that, “This is pretty complicated, is going to take time and dedication, it’s going to take some financial investment, and there are so many factors involved that it just might not work for you” isn’t particularly sexy copy.
But it’s true. And you need to know it.
It Takes Time
There aren’t any tips or tricks that I can give you that can be implemented today and result in sustained success. If you aren’t succeeding on Facebook now, it’s going to take time and a whole lot of effort to fix that.
No one wants to hear that. They don’t have time for that. They don’t have the resources to do it for them. So they shouldn’t expect any amount of lasting success.
It’s taken me two years to get my Facebook Page and my business where they are today. I don’t take a week or more off from blogging. I don’t ignore Facebook for a few days. I’ve recorded a podcast every week for as long as I can remember.
And it’s this routine that has brought success. Understand that you can have the ultimate routine. You may work your butt off. But you may not see any fruits — or obvious fruits — for quite some time.
Nothing good comes easy. And I know those words aren’t going to be found on any Facebook ads anytime soon (*unless it’s my ad, I guess).
It Takes Money
You can bust your butt on your Facebook Page. Blog every day. Do all of the right things.
But if you don’t spend some money, your ceiling is limited.
No one can do it all and do it all well. And as a result, you will cut corners and do things “the best that you can” in the meantime.
Design suffers. Product suffers. Website suffers.
And hell, I was an example of that. I once bragged that I spent close to nothing during 2012 to run a successful business. I feel kind of dumb for saying that now.
Sure, I spent close to nothing. And I only spent $750 on Facebook ads for an entire year. But the resulting revenue was a fraction of what it could have been.
I’m seeing that now. I have a long list of expenses these days. I pay people to do things when they can do them better than I can. I don’t cut corners.
And you shouldn’t either. While there are always exceptions, you get what you paid for.
You need to invest in your success. If you don’t, it shows a lack of confidence in your abilities to turn that investment into results.
It Takes Know-How
I’m not going to tell you “anybody can do it.” Frankly, they can’t.
You need to work hard. You need to spend money. And you need to know what the heck you’re doing.
This goes beyond anything I can tell you. You’ve gotta be willing to learn, be hungry for information, know how to analyze data and be comfortable with technology.
And even then…
It Might Not Work
You know what makes great marketing copy? Telling someone it might not work for them.
But it’s the absolute truth. Not just with Facebook marketing, but with anything.
You know this. It seems obvious. But you may not be honest with yourself and acknowledge it.
You could buy my Power Editor course. You could buy my Insights course. You could sign up for one-on-one coaching sessions. You could read every blog post, listen to every Pubcast and attend every mini-webinar.
But you know what? It still might not work. And it might not be your fault.
The truth is that there are many different factors at play. You may be in a tough industry. A tough market. Or maybe your website sucks.
And don’t underestimate the importance of the last one. If your goal is to sell product, there is no perfect ad that will convince customers to navigate a crappy website to convert.
Still Have the Will?
I’m hoping that my blog attracts the right people. People who nod their heads throughout this post. Who know that nothing comes easy, and even then their success isn’t guaranteed.
Are you?
