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The impact of collaboration: Referral programs and partnerships
You’ve likely heard that collaboration is key (which may have been accompanied by an eye roll because you’d rather have not been part of the group project for which this comment was directed), but have you considered how collaboration supports your business plan?
Expanding your efforts through word-of-mouth marketing will mean rapid growth for your business. While we’ve spoken at length about the testimonial client route for effective referrals before, here we’re referring to mutually beneficial agreements with other business owners.
Small But Mighty Episode 16: Anna Sinclair on building a village that connects moms and businesses
Anna Sinclair brings moms together through The Total Mom Network. It’s a place to connect, help one another and experience unique events. Anna also runs Sinclair Creative Agency, a full-service agency that connects brands and communities through storytelling. She joins me on the show today to discuss what inspired her to start Total Mom Inc., and how her experiences as a singer and actress have helped her create a creative agency built on connection.
Shift your marketing focus from output to outcomes
The output of your marketing is important. Believe me, I’m the last person to say it isn’t. But if you’re so busy putting stuff out there and not thinking about the bigger picture of what you’re trying to do before you take action, you’re turning your marketing into busywork that probably isn’t serving you as well as it could.
So, let’s talk about some of those key points about busyness and how they relate to marketing.
4 signs your content is missing the bullseye with your target audience
People often need multiple interactions with your brand in order to make a purchase decision. But the more your content speaks to your audience, letting them know who you are and what problems you solve that are relevant to them, the more inclined they’ll be to purchase from you because they resonate with the messages you’re sharing. When this happens, you’ve gained more points with them and are winning the content game!
Small But Mighty Episode 15: Lori Pearlstein on the value of in-person connection and authenticity in marketing
I was excited to talk to Lori Pearlstein of PlayWorks, who uses improv and humour to help people and businesses get more comfortable and spontaneous when speaking in front of others. There is value in connecting with people in-person and over the phone and Lori encourages us to do more of that and rely less on social media. In this episode, Lori and I chat about how COVID-19 means we rely a lot more on online communication, but how we can also use this time to improve our comfort and confidence to have better, more authentic conversations in our businesses.
Tactical or strategic marketing? Spoiler, you need both
When creating a successful marketing plan, it’s important to incorporate both strategy and tactics. Rather than opposing one another, the strategy informs the tactical choices. Anyone who tries to separate the strategic from the tactical is missing the big picture.
How to create valuable content
How do you feel about the content you’re producing? Regardless of your company size, content marketing should be a key part of your overall marketing strategy. After all, content is the fuel of every other part of marketing.
Test, measure, tweak, repeat: Maximizing the ROI of your marketing efforts
Having a marketing strategy means you should be aware of and in touch with your ideal client: understanding what platforms they’re on, what questions they’re asking, and what solutions they’re looking for so you can speak directly to them.
It means you should have a clear marketing message: one that reflects your business values, your mission, and what your company stands for.
It means you should set appropriate goals, aligned with the metrics that matter most for your company.
And it means that you should be actively testing different methods, campaigns, and approaches to see which give you the biggest return on investment (ROI).
Match your message to the moment: 5 things to consider when reviewing your brand activism marketing strategy
In recent years the tendency of brands to speak up about subjects like racism, human rights, equality, and other social justice topics has increased. This tendency, sometimes referred to as brand activism, might have you questioning whether you should shift your messaging, as well as when and how to do it.
Social media has created an environment where anyone with an account (okay, pretty much everyone) has direct access to brands. People can easily get in touch in real-time, comment or share their experience, and create buzz surrounding a particular brand.
Your marketing strategy should take into consideration your business values and company mission, and focus on matching your message to the moment.
What's your point of view and why do you need one?
Your point of view is how you see the world. Your point of view is an expression of the problem you solve, your approach to solving it, and why people should work with you. Having a documented point of view will give you a tool to center these ideas in content so you can help your customers understand the big picture of what they get when they choose you in every piece of content you share. It makes your content consistent in sharing your point of view, regardless of the topic you’re taking on.
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