Tired of Spinning Plates?
To state the obvious, over the past years, we have seen an unprecedented increase in the proliferation of digital and social media marketing. There is literally not a day that goes by where business-owners and marketers are not being reminded of the critical importance of digital marketing to the future success of their businesses. From SEO, to paid ads, to content, to social media, to automated inbound, there is this constant and unrelenting pressure to adopt every new digital release and opportunity with a severe case of FOMO as the consequence if we choose to ignore them; instilling the belief that we will be “left behind” if we do not stay on top of every new digital and social media trend.
It’s analogous to a plate-spinning act, where not only must we keep all our current digital and social marketing “plates” spinning, but also need to constantly add new ones. Inevitably, something has to give. Eventually, the plates will crash.
So what are we to do? How do we manage to keep abreast of every new digital and social media trend, so as to be sure that we can maintain the competitive and sales advantage that we are being told these will deliver?
Well, perhaps we shouldn’t.
We Still Don’t get it…Marketing and Advertising Are Not the Same Thing!
Even before the advent of digital marketing and the IoT, many marketers and business-owners were guilty of confusing marketing and advertising, often seeing the two as interchangeable. When saying: “I need to marketmy product/service”, many marketers and business-owners actually meant “….advertise my product/service”.
It’s as if the two disciplines were seen as one.
Well, today, the digital realm has only served to further blur the lines. Exponentially! If we needed to be reminded of the differences between marketing and advertising then, we most definitely need to be reminded today: Marketing and Advertising are most certainly NOT the same thing!
Let’s face it, today, when we think of digital or social media marketing, we are really just thinking about advertising or communication, not marketing in the true and real sense at all. We like to use terms like “engagement”, “content”, “clicks”, “Share-ability”, but these are all really just extensions of communication or advertising.
To be clear, digital marketing – in all its guises – for the most part is really just about communication and communication (advertising), is just one component of marketing. Yet today, with so much digital marketing “noise”, many business-owners and marketers have become blinkered in their view towards marketing, with (digital) communication having become the sole focus of their marketing approach.
Marketing: Strategy First. Tactics Second
To be equally clear, marketing is MUCH more than just communication. It is about (really) understanding your market, your category, your customer; how your product or service is positioned – your brand. It’s about your pricing and distribution models, your business objectives…and, then, about defining a strategy that ties this all together. Not a digital marketing strategy, not a social media strategy, but a marketing strategy – one that may and probably will – include digital as a component of the overall communications mix.
We so often hear terms like “content strategy” or “social media strategy”, or even more granular – a “Facebook strategy”? These are just different communications tactics. The strategy must come first – to determine which tactics are best suited and relevant.
Digital and social media marketing should then be seen as tools, amongst so many other tools that can be used to create awareness and communication. There is no doubt that each of these tools requires their own strategy and plan, but these should only be considered within the framework of a clearly defined marketing strategy.
Strategy first. Tools and tactics second.
What Makes the Digital Realm Even MORE Complex is that…
To make matters even more complex, the digital realm can – and often does – extend to beyond just communication. In some instances it can be the actual product (e.g. Saas, Swas, Paas, digital publications, streaming content to name a few). It can be the distribution (e.g. Drop box, We Transfer or any digital download for that matter).This only serves to make things even more complex and only further elevates the critical need to have a marketing strategy in place first.
Many business owners and marketers today seem to have developed a blind spot, where anything other than digital communication tactics are overlooked and ignored. When a social media channel suddenly shows an increase in audience, it suddenly becomes the new flavour of choice often followed by a virtual avalanche of must-have tricks and insights as to how to leverage the new opportunity.
BOFU clicks and conversions are seemingly the drug of choice for many business-owners and marketers today who, sadly, are growing addicted to the pursuit of every new digital tool and trinket, for fear that if they don’t; they will fall behind the and become invisible.
Nonsense.
Where Do We Start – A Strategic Framework?
In today’s challenging trading climate, business-owners are focused on one thing. Sales
An urgency to close sales to existing customers while hunting for new customers is the number one priority for businesses today, and this is probably correct, given that so many sectors are experiencing challenging sales conditions.
But if we are to succeed, then we need a strategy and often, the best way forward is backwards. It is so often overlooked, but very often, the answers we need can be found within. From our current customers.
Ask Yourself…
As a business-owner or marketer, when last did you engage with your current customers, in a meaningful way? When last did you ask how your product/service is delivering and where you can perhaps improve, adapt, extend or innovate your offering? (Tip: You do not see your product/service in the same way as your customer does!)
We often think we know what our customers think and feel and then wait for our digital agencies or internal teams to tell us what activities they have planned for the year or months ahead. Again, these will be mostly based on communication
It is usually when it’s too late, when a customer has left, that we suddenly realise our product/service wasn’t delivering what we thought.
Start with these 3 Areas
When considering a departure point, it is always good to focus on 3 areas:
- Your Current customer – after all, they are currently using your product/service, so are best place to give you some valuable insights
- Your Category – This will help give you some perspective and context. Remember your fellow category players will also be able to provide a counterpoint for you; a mirror for your brand and offering, helping you to identify your weaknesses – and opportunities. Just remember to define your own strategy, one that serves your customer, instead of constantly reacting to what your competitor does).
- Your Market – The bigger playing field from where your prospects will be found and where you need to position your brand and offering.
This is a good starting point and should provide a framework from where to start formulating your marketing strategy and objectives.
Once your marketing strategy has been defined your communication plan can be considered…be it digital, social, or perhaps, something else!
Remember – Strategy first. Tactics second
