Is it time to take out the trash when it comes to your marketing?
Have you hung on to old tactics that are not working too long?
Many marketing programs simply are full of tactics that aren’t worth keeping.
So, why do we keep them on?
How do we get to this point in the first place?
More importantly, what do we do about it?
We find that many marketing programs need a hard look at how they could eliminate waste. Not just because it’s good for the budget – don’t get us wrong this is a nice perk! But when a marketing team takes a hard look at wasteful aspects to projects, their promotion and communications get better, and their time and resources invested are better utilized. Often the message gets more tight, focused, and purposeful. The action taken is done with the right end goals in mind, and you open the door to new opportunities too. Media habits and how consumers are using technology to research and buy new products are changing at an ever increasing rate and with these changes we must consider how we reach our customers and their key influencers.
Measure in order to Improve
The very best way to eliminate waste is to be monitoring what works and what does not. Review and analyze metrics to see what tactics are performing and helping you meet your goals. See which ones are tired and see if you need to shake up the approach, or redirect the resources. Ultimately, this means measuring and reporting from the start (or as early as you can) so that you can make an informed decision, not just one that is emotional. Measuring results is not a sexy process, but it IS one that will help you decide where to change your approach.
The best marketing programs take regular stock in what is working and what is not. They are intentional to process through where they need to eliminate waste. If it’s been awhile since you’ve thought through your own marketing program, now might be just the time to take some stock. Where do you need to eliminate or realign your focus so that your marketing program drives even greater results?
Know What You’re Working Toward
The best marketing strategies focus on a clear set of specific goals. When all marketing strategies are working toward those goals, you get better results and everything works in sync. Your paid ads can complement the written blogs you create, the social media content supports the funnel advertising you’re doing, and more.
Understanding your customers is essential, including what they value, and how they fit in with your business goals and needs to reach the right customers for profitability. Then, you can speak directly to the people you want, in the language they resonate with, and encourage them to take action that really drives your business.
Make a Plan
It seems very basic and simple, but yet so profound: having a plan in place helps you manage the waste in your marketing. Those that jump from strategy to strategy (or shiny object to shiny object) without a plan, most assuredly waste efforts. Those that work off of a whim miss out on a lot of opportunities that the basic structure of a plan provides.
A simple plan mapped out, helps you keep track of themes/talking points in your marketing, understand the patterns and cadences you could have to be intentional with your audience, and helps make sure you know deadlines.
The best part about a plan is that other tactics can come into the plan as you move along. As new technologies and trends emerge, you can evolve your plan. But even more, your plan doesn’t have to stay stagnant. You have our permission to change your marketing program as the world changes. And, boy have we see that be a reality in the past year! Plans simply give you the framework to start from.
Get fresh opinions from trusted resources
Sometimes you and your team have worked on a program so long that you lose sight of new opportunities while continuing to invest in other tactics that are performing marginally. Adding new team members and seeking out opinions from other savvy marketers can help with the issues of being too comfortable with aspects of your program who have seen their time.
You don’t have to spend the whole budget.
Just because you have the dollars in the budget does not mean that you have to spend them. Smarter marketing strategies and tactics that build sales and are shared can create incredible results enabling marketers to save dollars that can be directed to the bottom line or perhaps development of new products and services.