There is a lot of responsibility when you oversee a company’s strategic marketing. It’s because when you market for someone, you are influencing an audience’s perception about them. That’s what a brand is – the perception of something.
When you are the owner of the company, marketing is impacting your personal brand too.
Often marketers talk about what NOT to do and what you CAN do, but little time is spent on what you MUST do with your marketing.
Regardless of what tactic you use – direct mail, social media, email or carrier pigeon, these 5 things are a MUST in today’s culture of strategic marketing.
Genuine
One of the first things noticeable about a company’s marketing is often their intentions. Are they trying to help me? Or are they trying to help themselves? And, if there is ever any doubt, the consumer (being cynical) will default to “they must be trying to help themselves”.
Make sure what you offer your audience is genuinely looking to help them. And making sure you have that thought in the back of your mind when you create content will help you keep the right perspective.
Specific
It’s easy to fall to the temptation of talking about all of the problems you can solve for your customers. And certainly, when they become clients, it’s great to help them with as many as you can. But to get their attention in today’s market, you need to focus on one main problem you solve.
The selection of that problem should be strategic. Maybe it’s the problem you make the most profit on. Or maybe it’s the problem you know if they hire you to solve, they will buy additional services to go along with it.
Consistent
There are more noises and conversations going on in the marketplace than ever before. We have a 24-hour news cycle. Stories that break in the middle of the night are in the shadows of the ones that break in the morning. We are a 140-character, news-ticker world. And for those who are trying to educate their buyers, this can present a challenging task.
Buyers need to know when and where to go to get information about you. This requires you to provide consistent information in consistent places. It also requires you to be consistent in your frequency of information.
Creative
Do you want to get someone’s attention with your marketing? Creative ideas pay off. They help make you memorable in a world full of bright shiny objects.
Spend a little time thinking about what you can do that would effectively help people understand what problem you solve and remember you next time they have that problem.
Could be a promotional item, or a creative postcard, or a catchy slogan. Regardless, give it some real thought.
Transparent
Let’s face it. You won’t come out smelling like roses in every situation. Sometimes it’s someone else’s fault, and sometimes it’s yours.
Don’t be afraid to admit your mistakes. Own up to them, and work to make it right. Long-term customers don’t stick with you because you avoid making mistakes. They stick with you because when you do, you work hard to make it right. People respect that and it’s what will keep your business growing.
Regardless of what marketing activities you choose to do, make sure you remember these 5 musts. You will find that it will smooth the rough edges off any marketing you do.
