Understand the stakes

- You've probably heard this statistic, or perhaps one like it. Everyday, the average consumer will see 3,000 advertising messages. No doubt there is some forum or subreddit somewhere where people debate whether it's really more like 2,000 or 10,000 or whatever, but the point is that the average person is exposed to a lot of advertising, and let's be honest, if you're selling a product or service or otherwise have some kind of message you need to get out to the world, this is a problem. It really is, so let's embrace reality. At the same time, it's not all bad news. There's a silver lining to this notion that we live in an ad saturated world. First, we aren't as resistant to marketing as you might think. We all buy stuff. We all pay attention. I have loyalty program cards in my wallet from coffee shops I haven't been to in three years. Next, when it comes to products and services we're interested in, we actually want to be marketed to. Haven't you ever been excited about a sale from your favorite retailer. What if you found out they had a sale, but you missed it. You feel remorseful. You might sign up for their email list to make sure you don't miss the next one. Also, you don't have to win the whole marketing game. You just need to win with your ideal customers, the people you should be relentlessly focused on while ignoring everything else. In fact, you'll likely be a lot more successful with only a few tools and tactics applied well. Last, but not least, a little knowledge goes a long way. By equipping yourself with this basic knowledge, you'll be far ahead of most marketers. So let's break it down a bit. You're up against this crowded market place and your competition isn't just other companies who sell something similar. Your competition is all the ways that people spend there time, and are therefor closed off to your message. For example, as an author, my competition isn't other business authors, it's all the things people do now instead of reading books. If someone isn't buying and reading my books, it's probably not because they're spending all their time reading books by authors whose books are shelved next to mine in the store, It's because they're watching Netflix or Amazon Prime Video or playing Angry Birds or scrolling through their social feeds on their phone and so on. Now chances are, that's your issue, too. Not so much your direct competitors, but the world around you, and your goal it to break through the noise to connect with the right people. The stakes are high. There are a lot of Goliaths out there, but in the classic David versus Goliath story, it wasn't Goliath who came out the winner. Just like David had a secret weapon, so do you, or at least you have access to a whole arsenal of weapons that we'll explore in this course, a strong offer, a strong story, promotions, deals, and discounts, and the knowledge of your ideal customer, and of course a lot of additional tactics like social media, forums and communities, and even online advertising. So as we dive in, do you know what your goals are? Do you have a clear objective? You might be familiar with the saying, "If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there." So let's get serious about what you hope to accomplish.