WADENA — Drawing from decades of experience as a business owner, Mark Lunde is emphasizing the power of consistent marketing in his new book, “The Consistency Code: Marketing and Promoting Consistently for Success”.
In the book, Lunde provides business owners with clear, repeatable strategies to market and promote their businesses, cutting through the noise with practical advice on how to build on what’s working, identify what’s not, and how to create lasting customer relationships.
Lunde owns and operates Lunde Auto Sales and Trusted Car Care in Wadena, as well as several other ventures including Motor Credit Express and Rally Rental Car. His journey, he said, has been shaped by both trial and error and a deep commitment to core values.
“One of the things that I’ve really found in certain industries that I’ve been involved with is how to cross those lines of what is working and what isn’t,” said Lunde. “My opinion on marketing is what works for some might not work for others. The question is— is it right for your business, and does it work?”
Lunde’s career in marketing began in the finance industry with The Associates, a Dallas-based finance company later acquired by Citigroup in the mid-1990s. Just weeks into the job, the company shifted its business model during the refinancing boom — an abrupt change that taught Lunde important lessons about business adaptability.
During that time, Lunde also gained a mentor, Greg Frost, who instilled a key marketing lesson: don’t change something if it’s working.
“If it’s working and bringing in customers and there is a positive return on investment, leave it alone,” Lunde said.
Lunde said consistency became a recurring theme in both his business practices and his writing process. He wrote the book over the course of a year, committing to writing a few pages each night.
Contributed graphic / Mark Lunde
Focusing on writing “The Consistency Code” as a manual for business owners, the book outlines a path to learning the ins and outs of successful marketing strategies, including how to track return on investments, how to build a consistent marketing system, and more.
“I tried to keep theories out of it and write a truly practical step-by-step guide on how to market your business, and how to do it consistently,” said Lunde, who added he also included a dedicated page to resources and also offers free downloadable spreadsheets to help calculate return on investments, and ready-to-use forms on his website
www.consistencycodebook.com
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While Lunde acknowledges there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to marketing, he believes there is a guiding principle that applies to all businesses.
“There is a code — a method of thinking and working — that can lead to success,” he writes in his book. “If you adhere to the principles of consistency, you will see a consistent and long-term return on your investment, regardless of changing trends.”
Throughout the book Lunde offers readers examples of marketing strategies that stand apart from the crowd, and most importantly–highlights why they work. From identifying the ideal customer, to explaining why business marketing needs a purpose, and how to build a consistent marketing system combined with practical advice to put into action.
As readers work their way through “The Consistency Code,” Lunde said he hopes it will give business owners better insight into why consistent marketing strategies work, as well as why some don’t work, pulling from his personal experiences.
“Every marketing piece you develop, whether it’s a social media post, an email or an ad campaign provides useful feedback. When something works, ask yourself why. If it doesn’t, ask yourself why. Understanding the cause and effect allows you to make more informed, data-driven decisions in the future,” Lunde writes.
The Consistency Code is available now on Amazon and aims to help business owners make more informed, data-driven marketing decisions through consistency and strategy.
Nicole Stracek was a freelance writer for over 10 years before joining the Wadena Pioneer Journal. She covers everything from city council and county board meetings to breaking news. The community reporter can be reached at 218-631-2561 or nstracek@wadenapj.com.
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