Less marketing noise.More clarity, strategy, and action. Blog
No one cares about your amazing product features
Think about the products you buy, especially the ones that delight you most. Did you buy any of them merely because you read through the features and the product checked all your boxes? I doubt it.
Strategic marketing vs. marketing as a service
Marketing is an interesting discipline in today’s world. In some companies, the team ends up relegated to service status, playing a reactive role in supporting sales. I’ve started referring to it as marketing as a service, or MaaS, since everything as a service is all the rage these days. For larger organizations, I’m not a huge fan of this approach since there’s usually significant investment to salaries of qualified individuals who understand the business strategy and build plans that help move it forward.
Making a plan to get where you want to go faster
Planning starts with establishing your goals so you can break down the steps it takes to accomplish them. But it’s not as straightforward as simply making a list of things you want to do. There are some questions you’ll want to consider so you start with realistic goals:
Marketing requires businesses to be prepared to go the distance
One of the most discouraging things I see happen in my work is organizations that want to use all these shiny “new” tools to grow, thinking the results will be immediate.
That has never been true for any form of marketing, though there are occasional exceptions. Most businesses need to ignore the exceptions. Statistically, they're outliers and the results aren’t likely to be replicated. The stories about them should all include disclaimers that say, "results not typical."
The shoes and handbags theory of building an audience
If a business focuses solely on quantity in building an audience - Twitter followers, Facebook likes, blog subscribers, and others - you end up always wanting more. The ten new followers you just got may not be quite right for your product/services, but seeing that jump in numbers feels so good!
Growing a large audience shouldn't be the primary goal, though growth is certainly important. Growing an audience that fits your target market and is engaging with you is a worthy goal.
Do you know what you're doing and why?
There are many, many really interesting and innovative ideas for marketing out the world right now. From really clever, to outlandish, to stunt-worthy, there’s a lot to pick through. Ultimately, though, it's all just marketing. And marketing tactics have to be a right fit or they're going to fall flat.
Your website is home - don't rent space somewhere else
Your website is your home online. You own it. You control it. You decide what goes in the closets. You get to put out the fun and funky accessories. You get to dress it to suit your brand. You get to decide whether to stay or leave.
Automation gone horribly wrong (and how to fix it)
Disclaimer: The following post is a hot plate of opinion overflowing with a steaming heap of advice, and garnished with snark. It was inspired by someone who mentioned TrueTwit. (Enough said, right?) Continue at your own risk. Also, there are many words. Grab a drink and enjoy.
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