Another true story. We are driving I-4 West into Tampa, FL a few weeks ago. As I glanced at the billboard on the south side of the highway, my eyes caught sight of the sign captured in the photo below. What do you notice about this billboard?
Photo credit, MHProNews.
Yes, you've spotted it now too! The sign – a single word and phone number – has a typo! “Available” is what they meant to spell, but in fact, it reads “Avalible.” Let's hope the 863-213-8050 phone number is correct…
Typos or errors in marketing or collateral are far from a one time occasion. A government agency hit the news recently, having spent big bucks on an item that had a serious typo in a word that was part of a logo. Everything printed was trashed as a result. The mainstream media also makes errors. Frankly, we get typos too. The hardest thing, professional editors say, is to see your own typos. Perhaps one reason is because you know what you 'meant' to write, and your mind sort of fills in mentally what was intended.
One take away is that it is wise to get someone else to review, whenever possible.
Is Imperfect Marketing better than No Marketing?
Sorry to say this in reply to the question above, but it depends! We had an item that had a typo in it, and (ouch!) it happened to be a prospective client's name. Actually, the name was spelled correctly, but regrettably it wasn't the name for the person the item was about! While it wasn't my error, neither did I catch it until the executive pointed the mistake out to me. The jury is still out on how much damage that error caused. The point is that an error can risk or cost you business with some.
On the other hand, others are far more forgiving and understanding. Someone might see that sign above and actually call it because of the typo. In Hollywood, they say that any publicity is good publicity. While you and I may see that different than those movie star types, you get the idea.
We are big believers in measure twice, and cut once. That said, imperfect messaging is routinely better than no messaging at all.
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G. K. Chesterton's famous quote above was wonderfully paraphrased by Zig Ziglar. Ziglar explained that it is better to start something and do it badly at first, until you learn to do it well. So true! Few of us are experts the first time we tried the ABCs or 123s. It takes repetition! The same is true in marketing, you have to repeat your message over and again, change it up, and say it again.
Another Chesterton quote makes the point that an imperfect start is better than no start at all.
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When we launched MHMSM.com – what we now called MHProNews.com, both of which points to MHMarketingSalesManagement.com – the site was good, but not perfect. We've kept improving it, and it continues to grow!
Compared to this same time last year, our page views have essentially doubled, from over 1 million page views last summer to over 2 million page views in both June and July of 2014! We were already the runaway #1 in our niche last summer, so we keep growing the gap between us and others. Keep in mind, we've created that traffic from pros like you without buying Google ad words, etc..
We've proven and demonstrated successful SEO and other methods to grow an audience that we teach others to do on their websites or online marketing. As the assistant vice-president of a respected company said in an email this week,
“I read your site almost every day…”
If we were hung up on a false notion of perfection or nothing at all, we'd likely have much less content, and far fewer readers and page views too. This is publishing, not brain surgery. We do marketing as opposed to manufacturing some vital part in an aircraft, ship, car, smartphone or computer. The point is, there is room for tolerance in a marketer's efforts that may not be true for other professions!
In marketing, the ideal is to put out the best possible item that you can given your time, talent and budgetary constraints. If you can afford to do better, then do it! If you can't, then do the best you can with what you have to work with.
Video Courtesy of our friends, colleagues and clients at
ManufacturedHomes.com
Teaming Up
Let's make one more point with the video shown above. We all need others! It would be very costly for us to have our own video team. We forged a relationship with ManufacturedHomes.com. No one is a truly a 'one man (or woman) band.' We need professionals to provide us with services here and there. We take our own advice, we team up with others, and you should too.
Of course, when it comes to doing online marketing, websites or modern sales systems that attract more customers with cash or good credit to MHCs and MHRetailers, please call or keep us in mind. You'll see websites that deliver results along with marketing and sales processes that will improve your bottom line.
Call or click below, thanks, and see you again here next week! ##
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