Fast & Loud is an off-beat reality TV show that features a hot rod shop in Dallas called the Gas Monkey Garage. The guys there buy cars, make them into super-fast hot rods and then sell them.

Usually, they start with cars are old and beat up. But sometimes they start with a high-end sports car like a Ferrari or a Ford GT.  It’s already great-looking. It’s already fast and has a bunch of cool features.

But the Gas Monkeys make it even better-looking. They make it even faster. And they add more cool features. Then of course, they make an even bigger profit when they sell it.

You may think your marketing is like a high-end sports car. It’s a high performance marketing machine. It uses the Three M’s (methods, messages and media) to keep it going at top speed. And your Three M’s seem just right: your methods are sound, your media seems to be working and your message seems to be really resonating.

But that’s exactly the time to go back to work on your three M’s. In fact, you need to consider making it an ongoing process to constantly tune them up.

Let’s look at your Three M’s one at a time, and see what you can do with each.

Methods

When was the last time you did any quantitative or qualitative research? You need to be sure you’re making your media buys based on reaching the right market. How do you know it’s the right market without some research that you update every couple years?

Be sure your sales process is the most effective it can be. I like to look at the last half-dozen accounts we landed and trace the process.

I do my best to determine if it was organic, if it came from a referral or from one of our new business campaigns. Sometimes I need to get others involved and you may need to do the same.

Messages

If you have a marketing campaign of any sort, there are key messages that resonate with people and help you stand out, connect with prospects and ignite their desire to inquire, and ask for an estimate of purchase.

Now is the time to determine which each of those are working and which are not. Contact the customers and prospects who read and view your messages. Find out which messages help you stand out, and which messages fall flat. You can also do more formal research like focus groups.

Now is also the time to take a good look at the messages used by all of your competitors and similar organizations, both national and international. Is there anything in those messages that you can borrow, revamp and put into your messages?

Media

Are you relying too much on paid media because developing content for social media is too much work? If you’re willing to do the work, you can develop a truly loyal following very cost-effectively.

On the flip side, are you relying too much on social media because it costs less? Sure it costs less, but major advertisers still spend 95% of their budgets on mass media for one reason — it works.

Each time you look at media, look at ALL media choices. Consider exhibiting in or attending trade shows, starting your own show, or conducting webinars for best prospects.

Bottom Line

If you want marketing that REALLY makes a difference and always works the best it can, then keep working on your Three M’s. Make sure each M is the best it can be. Do that and no one will beat your marketing machine.