Continuing to prosper commercially in the Age of the Algorithm

(This is a reworking of a piece of content I created called, 'How can we stop relying so heavily on algorithms to help grow our business?')

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“Marketing changes all the time," says marketing expert, Neil Patel. "To give you an example, Google changes its algorithm roughly 9 times a day."

Nine times a day!

If Neil’s right (and I have no reason to doubt him), how might we respond to that revelation as business owners seeking exposure to more potential clients?

And, of course, it's not only Google that we have to consider in the Age of the Algorithm. Social media platforms all have algorithms, too - most of which are shrouded in smoke-and-mirrors mystery.

Relying on algorithms outside of our control is a recipe for sales and marketing uncertainty. And, when it comes to finding more clients as a business owner, I want to mitigate sales and marketing uncertainty as much as possible - I want to do more of what I can control (our strategy), and less of what I can't (algorithms).

As a business owner seeking clients, then, here's what I do (in fact, I decided to start doing it a very long time ago):

a) I do my utmost not to rely on algorithms to grow a business, full stop.

(Whether that’s search engine algorithms or social media algorithms.)

b) I seek to build businesses that can prosper without relying on algorithms.

In fact, when it comes to business, and particularly when it comes to sales and marketing, I seek to bypass algorithms wherever possible.

How?

Well, here's what I do:

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1. I source comprehensive data

I ask, “Who needs our help?” and seek to answer that question as specifically as possible: Industry, location, headcount, likely functions and job titles of decision makers, etc.

Then, I input all that information into Sales Navigator.

And ta-dah!

I've got one very targeted prospecting list.

Then I rinse and repeat the process for all our target markets.

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2. I create great collateral

I ask, “Why does it matter to them?” and, once again, seek to answer that question as specifically as possible.

Does it help solve a problem? Capture an opportunity? Achieve an outcome?

Does it help them save time? Save money? Make money?

In short, how does my business make their lives easier or better?

Then I jump on CorelDRAW (or you could use Canva) and design a neat, multi-page PDF brochure that showcases all of this. (Or you could get your designer to do it.)

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3. I bypass the algorithms

I ask, “How are we going to reach those who need our help with the good news?”

Organic content? (Good luck with that.)

Sponsored content? (Fine, as long as our ideal clients are active on social media. They might have profiles and company pages, but that doesn't mean they're active on LinkedIn, for example. If they're not active - and, therefore, actively scrolling - the chances of them seeing any of my content - organic or sponsored - is minimal to say the least.)

Write to them? (That can be incredibly effective. Who gets a letter in the post these days?)

Call? Ask permission to send the brochure? Follow up and seek an opportunity to meet and present? (That’s typically what we do.)

In short, I want to proactively do whatever works to effectively communicate how we help, to those who need our help, in the most helpful way possible.

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In summary

Search engines and social media platforms aren’t a business owner’s best friend. They’re businesses in business to make money - from you and me and everyone else.

So, by doing 1 to 3 above, you too can stop relying so heavily on ever-changing algorithms to help grow your business. Instead, you can rely on comprehensive data, good tools, and effective strategy.

And that can only be a good thing for your business, right?

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Prefer to outsource the problem?

Yes, you can outsource the whole kit and kaboodle to my agency.

terracotta agency will:

? source the comprehensive data for you

? create the great collateral for you

? bypass the algorithms to reach your ideal clients

DM me to arrange a Zoom chat if this floats your boat.

(Or keep relying on algorithms instead. Your call.) ??