Less marketing noise.More clarity, strategy, and action. Blog
Know your competition, but don’t try to become them
One of the foundational activities I love to do with my clients is to look at similar businesses or organizations to see what they're doing and whether it's effective.
The goal isn't to emulate them or even to get inspiration. It's about finding gaps in the marketplace that could be filled with my client’s business offerings or through communication and marketing differentiation.
Being different is GOOD. After all, if every company presents itself in the same way, what's the point? Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but it's not going to show how you're different. And your strength lies in what you do differently.
The long game of marketing and how to play it for sustainable business growth
It takes any business time to build a robust marketing program. It's not something that will happen in a day, a week, or even a year. This is particularly important to realize if you’re frustrated with the growth (or lack thereof) you’ve seen in your business so far. It’s understandable if you’re starting to wonder if your business will ever take off.
Is marketing the magic bullet that will save your business? It can be. The question is whether that momentum will come within the timeline you need or desire.
Your marketing needs more than one perspective: the importance of diversification in marketing
It’s no surprise that consumers expect more from the brands they’re supporting.
Recent years have shone a light on the broken and unethical systems that are in place in our society and the general public, particularly younger generations, want to support brands who are instead demonstrating values like diversity, accessibility and inclusion.
As business owners, it’s our job to respond to this public demand, and ensure we’re making authentic diversity and accessibility a priority in our marketing. (Not just because it’s being demanded, but because it’s the right thing to do).
Here are a few common issues that I see far too often in marketing.
Case study: Don’t write "how-to" articles that aren't helpful
There are probably hundreds of millions of marketing-related articles out on the internet. A big portion of those articles are "how-to" guides for various activities us marketing types like to encourage business owners like you to implement.
The problem is that way too many of these articles have little to no real value in them.
Let's break down the points of one of these articles and instead review what real value looks like.
Authentic inclusion and activism aren’t tied to a calendar
One of my favourite things about raising a “Gen Z” kid is how outspoken he is about marketing nonsense. Leading up to Pride Month, he mentioned the inevitable rainbow washing that was coming several times. While he may only be 14, he already knows when he sees something disingenuous.
And this applies to far more than our 2SLGBTQIA+ friends. It stands equally for BIPOC, disabled folks and every other historically marginalized group. Inclusion and activism aren’t marketing strategies. You either do it for real from the core of your business, and your business values, or you're not being authentic.
Here are some brands that get it.
Your marketing isn't annoying to your people
One of the more common issues clients raise about creating and sharing content (especially repurposing content or repeating ideas) is the fear that their audience will be annoyed.
Let me put your fears to rest: if people in your audience are annoyed, they aren't your people.
If anyone shares that they are unhappy or annoyed with your content, they aren't the right fit for you!
5 reasons I love teaching people about marketing (and why you need to learn more about it)
Having been in the marketing world for over a decade now, I know that marketing doesn’t always excite business owners as much as it does me. More often than not, business owners fall into marketing because of their business, and not because they are genuinely interested in marketing or have marketing expertise they’re dying to share.
But, getting clear on a marketing path that makes sense for your business goals, and honing in on skills like connecting with your audience, strategizing, and sharing valuable information in easily digestible ways, will allow your business to experience growth like never before.
There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ marketing plan
The spoiler alert you likely didn’t want: there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ when it comes to marketing. Unfortunately no one, not even the most successful business owners or brands, can simply hand over their marketing blueprint and promise you the same results they’ve seen.
Your business is unique. You are unique. What you do to grow your business should fit you, your business, the audience you want to attract, and the market you're in. (And no, that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to do things you don’t want to do to achieve your goals.)
What kind of support can you get for marketing your small business? An introduction to outsourcing marketing
Oftentimes there is frustration or aversion when it comes to marketing because entrepreneurs have fallen into marketing because they want a business, not because they enjoy marketing or have marketing expertise. And while I love to help “accidental marketers” find joy in marketing by making it easier for them, I also know that sometimes the best thing to do for your business is to outsource the tasks that are draining your time and energy.
When you allow yourself to let go of some of these tasks, you can instead focus on the activities that are within your zone of genius; working more “on” the business, instead of “in” it. Here are a few of the most common options for outsourcing marketing work.
Your data is the best source for data-driven decisions
You know how big I am on planning when it comes to marketing, but the other recommendation I like to talk about a lot is making decisions that are backed by data. When building out a strategic marketing plan, data is going to be key in informing your decisions in a way that will allow you to reach your bigger business goals.
Abiding by data is harder to do when you're new to business, but you can set yourself up to collect data from day one. And, as the data about your activity grows, you'll have insights you can use that are infinitely more reliable than all the third-party data in the world.
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