Here are two irrefutable facts: one, marketing strategies, and the technology we use to implement them, are evolving constantly, and two, keeping up with these changes can feel overwhelming, most especially to a client who is coming to us to make sense of it all and get results.
I thrive in an atmosphere of creation and innovation; the space in time when we’re just starting out, brainstorming, where everything is a possibility. However, NOT every strategy – not every super creative and fun idea, not every new platform – works for every client or for their many audiences.
Often times when we first engage with a client, they feel besieged by all the marketing options out there. They hear words and concepts like SEM and SEO, they have questions about the difference between print and digital advertising and are befuddled by the distinction between media relations and influencer marketing. They feel pressure to include original content across all of their platforms but are not sure what that means or how it works, they have heard of marketing automation but don’t know if it’s appropriate for their brand. The list goes on.
It’s our job as marketing partners to bring order to the chaos. Our job is to bring our expertise to the table, to make sense of all of these options available, and to advise our clients as to which ones make sense, and which ones don’t.
Marketing at its core is about linking your business with your potential customers or audiences. The marketing process begins with defining the WHY of the business and the solution the brand provides. Once you get to the WHY, and key-in to the emotional connection of the brand, we are able to generate brand affinity and customer loyalty. Once we have that determined, we dive into creating a marketing plan – and all its tactical components – that is based on a client’s audience segmentation and overall business goals.
One thing we are clear about with our clients from the outset is that they don’t need to do EVERYTHING and be EVERYWHERE. Just because something is new and “everyone is doing it,” does not mean they should be. You don’t always need to embrace every new piece of technology. Taking a “spray and pray” approach – eyes closed, fingers crossed – never works.
And, the truth is, there is no silver bullet. There are only well thought out and well-planned strategies. At Avocet, we often take a one-year, 90-day, and a “this week” approach to planning and implementing integrated strategies for our clients.
My good friend, Adam Cookson, founder of TekDry, discussed this very subject on the Integrate & Ignite podcast. Listen in to our conversation to hear how this innovative entrepreneur brings clarity and a singular purpose to his strategies in a very noisy marketplace.
