There is so much information out there in marketing. It makes it hard to get attention and look believable. As we test new things, we don”™t know if each new marketing idea will work or not. How do we keep from making ourselves crazy?
THOUGHTS OF THE DAY: Hang in there by looking at marketing as a game. Build muscle and results through practice. Play by the rules and play for long-term results. Just get started. Make sure you have the right team for the game you want to play.
Think of marketing as a late night ”” game of darts among friends. You start off with fresh eyes, strong throws and score early wins. As the game drags on, points don”™t come so easily, anxiety hits, you start to try different throws ”” some work, some don”™t. By the end of the night you”™re tired, throwing wildly, missing the bull”™s–eye more than hitting it; you just want the game to be over.
Start with what you know works in marketing. But don”™t stop there. Work systematically as you seek to expand your reach. Add people to refresh the team. Document what”™s working.
Marketing calls for precise planning. And practice makes perfect. Line up exact targets. Watch the scoreboard, aka analytics and key performance indicators. Experiment by throwing a few random darts to see what your audience likes.
Score points when your target audience recognizes you. Win a game when buyers take action. Accumulate points through consistent look and feel that”™s presented in multiple ways, such as print ads, website, billboards, uniforms, social media, radio and TV ads, leadership articles, etc. Aspire to play often and be everywhere your customer is.
Analyze what gets noticed. Keep in mind the old adage that you need to touch customers a minimum 8 to 10 times to get recognized. Think of campaigns as journeys your audience takes to accumulate 8 to 10-plus touches.
Boosting a post on Facebook might get you reach and probably some likes, but social media is just a piece of the game. It”™s powerful, but still just one part of the whole. Don”™t get lost there.
Run multiple campaigns simultaneously. Launching a new product? Let potential customers know about it. Simultaneously work to increase overall brand awareness with existing and new customers. Remind former customers that you”™re still out there, drawing them back to make another purchase and to refer you to their friends.
For a general marketing campaign here are some suggestions to get started:
- Send a five-question survey to existing customers ”” why do they love your brand;
- Decide on “offers” and test their appeal;
- Target your market through specific demographics. For example, suburban homeowners with household income of $100k-plus, men or women ages 35 to 50, businesses with more than 50 blue-collar employees;
- Combine vehicles: print advertising, boosted posts on Facebook, scheduled tweets, Instagram posts, mailers, phone calls;
- Map out and schedule what goes out when, so efforts complement each other; and
- Assign someone to oversee each campaign, including design, implementation, data gathering, analysis and tweaking.
There are ways to build marketing campaigns to fit every size budget. If your budget is really small, combine forces with another business that has a similar audience. Incorporate community volunteering to boost visibility. Build a network of people who are all promoting each other.
Boost team strength by continually adding people with a span of personalities and approaches. Creativity, analytic skills and project management ability are all necessary. Boost results by adding both employees and vendors to your team and delegating when you get tired.
LOOKING FOR A GOOD BOOK? Try “The One Page Marketing Funnel: How to Quickly Generate 10X More Leads with Zero Tech Overwhelm” by Aaron N. Fletcher.
Andi Gray is president of Strategy Leaders Inc., a business consulting firm that teaches companies how to double revenue and triple profits in repetitive growth cycles. Have a question for AskAndi? Wondering how Strategy Leaders can help your business thrive? Call or email for a free consultation and diagnostics: 877-238-3535, AskAndi@StrategyLeaders.com. Check out our library of business-advice articles: AskAndi.com.
