Great Marketing is always Like a Torrid Love Affair

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So many businesses believe past success determines their future.

It’s an inherently dangerous assumption, especially in today’s billion dollar buffed and distracted world.

Sales cycles are compressed as never before and barriers to entry are growing in parallel with opportunity.

Great marketing is always going to blend passion, tech and process.

It’s a pattern driven world: brands that are not connecting the dots, platforms, interactions and social are in a competitive disadvantage.

How to dig through today’s data smog to make intelligent decisions.

  • Ask more questions in 360 degree manner: customers, sales, suppliers, support staff, any/all stakeholders.
  • And ask intelligent open ended questions. BTW, rambling answers may have embedded pearls of wisdom.
  • Combine data sources in a meaningful manner: Google Analytics may not be enough; or, it’s inherent complexity may not serve you well.  There’s a whole new generation of analytics apps/service like MixPanel, Chartbeat, KissMetrics,

Recognize Attention is the new coin of the realm.

It’s an inherently noisy world. If you can’t get attention your not in the game.

Or, if you business is getting the wrong attention by not using the right channels (web, social, third party publishing) your referral traffic is not going to convert.

Attention is generated by sharing the right content on a platform that maps to your persona profiles.

Instagram is not going to be the right platform if you are targeting boomers; millennials, yes.

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The past is prologue for your marketing activities.

Yes, what’s worked in past quarters or years still has validity in today’s always on tech drenched world.

But, some of it has to be put aside so your business can embrace new platforms, technology and digital infrastructure.

Marketing Stack is not another Worthless Marketing Buzz Speak Example

Think of a marketing stack as intellectual property you are creating in the cloud and around your business.

You have two critical elements for a marketing stack: Data and Execution.

  • “Data” refers to digital signal being amassed and how you aggregate and activate them.
  • “Execution” is defined by how your marketing touch points are created, managed and optimized.

You also have inbound and outbound marketing activities: Blog, CRM, Web Site (these are inbound) and then outbound: Social, Advertising, Optimization.

What’s critical for your business is to at least grasp the importance of consciously building a marketing stack to blend tech and marketing platforms with your business processes.

marketing stack

Kick your Technical Prejudices to the Curb

So many execs have their own inherent prejudices about technology and platforms.

Try have have awareness about these and recognize every decision about the right or wrong technology should be looked at with a critical eye.

 Cross Pollinate Ideas In and Outside Your Company

Don’t let NIH (“not invented here”) syndrome trump sourcing ideas from others and learn to assimilate ideas and processes in unique ways.

Experts don’t have all the answers. But, the right ones will help you look at your marketing strategy and tactics with a fresh perspective.

The Real Power of Social is in Brand Reach

Twitter is more than a platform for engaging with others.

Yes, that’s an integral part of the success on the platform.

But, it’s real power is also in the inherent capacity to enable your business to broadcast a brand message to a large audience you could never reach on your own with a content strategy.

A Working Hypothesis Drives Marketing ROI

Change is extremely hard to predict for a consumer or a business facing brand.

But, using a working hypothesis about your business and marketing strategy can really help you understand what can and cannot be changed.

Crazy ideas are not inherently crazy. Some times they are game changers.

I worked with a CEO over ten years ago that told his staff some day most work would be done by collaborating in and on the web.

His staff told him he was crazy. “Legacy servers and information were too important to trust to outsources.”

Unfortunately the VC community was on the same page as his staff.

He was way ahead of the market.

Bet on Creative People not Ideas

Change is accelerating at a furious pace. Products and services are obsolete in a few weeks, months or quarters.

Your business stays on top of this growth by hiring people who are energetic, passionate, savvy about your market and self confident.

Ideas are somewhat intellectually driven. Great people come up with stellar ideas and sometimes the wackier the better.

Smart Content will Determine Success or Failure for Most Businesses

Content has and will be the buzz word du jour for marketers of every type and size for the foreseeable future.

But, for good reason. Your marketing success will probably stand or fail on the content you create and publish.

Great content has these characteristics.

  • Informative and factual.
  • Borrows from book formats liberally: Headings, Block Quotes, Sections.
  • Incorporates brevity.
  • Integrates images that resonate with the visitor.
  • Conversational and relates to your audience

Great Marketing has No Formula

Great marketing is never about “aha moments.” Today it’s tech, people, analysis and process driven.

If you expect to succeed build out a marketing stack that helps you synthesize technology and process to maintain competitive advantage.

Finally, the future will be “captured” by business that can blend the old and new in a way that garners the attention of today’s fickle “prosumer.”