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Strategy vs. plan: What’s the difference, and why does it matter?
I talk about the importance of planning a lot. But strategy and planning aren’t the same, and it’s essential to understand the difference. I haven’t talked nearly enough about the strategy that guides planning. Because if you don’t have a strategic foundation in place, even the best plans may not generate the results you want.
Target markets, audiences, and ideal clients: What they are and how to use them
Your target audience is a fundamental piece of your marketing strategy because you need a solid understanding of the audience you’re trying to reach (and who you don’t want to reach). That includes the problems they have (that you can help solve), where you can find them, and the language they use.
But how does your target audience compare to the ideal client you want and the clients you actually have? Turns out, each of these might look a little different (but hopefully not too different).
Alignment vs. agreement and why it’s okay to disagree
We don’t have to agree with a decision to be aligned with a common goal or purpose. Disagreeing with something often means you see a different side of a situation, but it doesn’t mean we have to dislike when that happens. Seeing another side to a situation is often a good thing. And it’s important to remember that different paths can take you to the same place.
7 DOs and DON’Ts of taking on controversial topics in your business content
If you're a business owner with an active social media presence, then more than likely you’ve found yourself in the position of wanting to post, share or comment on a controversial topic or opinion, but something holds you back. And for good reason! Wading into controversy isn't necessarily wrong for a business, but the response to your perspective can impact you as a person. But, with everything going on in the world right now, how a business handles controversial topics or opinions is coming up more and more.
Making plans for marketing productivity and results
If you’re like most young businesses, marketing is one of many items on your to do list. And every item on that list feels like a high priority. But when it comes to marketing, I promise you, it really is important.
Quality over quantity: Building an audience of fans instead of passive followers
We put a lot of pressure on ourselves as business owners to build a large online and digital following, sometimes resorting to tactics that aren't effective. When you find yourself getting excited because you have 1000 new followers, yet sales are down, it’s easy to become disillusioned with what’s working and what’s not working—but that’s valuable insight you need.
How to nurture interest instead of pushing a hard sell
When it comes to nurturing leads, you want to balance getting your point across and not pushing your prospect into a corner (or to your competitor). To do this successfully, you need to nurture your customer relationships through marketing tailored to what your customers want and need to know.
On ethics and empathy in marketing
I love marketing. Especially content and product marketing, which are the two most essential disciplines on a marketing team. As much as I love marketing, I’m very aware of the sometimes predatory nature of my chosen profession. Not all marketers or businesses do shady things to get ahead. In fact, most don’t. But we also don’t call out the problems enough.
Effective marketing: Why “plan” is not a four-letter word
I’ll admit it: I’m a planner. And I get that not everyone has this mindset. But, when it comes to marketing, taking action without a plan isn’t just a bad idea, not having a plan can backfire on you in unfortunate ways. The thing about marketing is that there will always be those instances when you have to do something that addresses an opportunity that doesn’t fall within the plan. But if that’s the status quo, you’re doing it wrong.
Bad customer experiences are also bad marketing
It goes without saying that the interactions your business has with prospects need to be thoughtful, consistent (not just regular, but fit together well), and engaging. It’s a bit like dating when your goal is to find a long-term relationship. You’re wooing them by showing off the best you’ve got.
Then one day they push the button to buy. Or maybe they book a consult and ask you to send an agreement. And you do a little dance to celebrate that success. Your marketing worked and now they get to be your customer.
One might think the marketing is over for that customer, but it isn’t. Every touchpoint you have in your process with that customer is marketing your business to them. If the experience isn’t good, do you think they’ll stay?
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