Effective marketing knows what success looks like
I made a rookie error last week. I was given a recipe for Anzac cookies, which seemed simple enough, so I started baking. However, being only my 2nd Anzac day in Australia, I’d never seen or eaten one… and this is where I made the fundamental mistake – I didn’t check what they should look or taste like!
I didn’t think to ask my hubby or search the internet; I just blindly followed my recipe, and assumed the amount of mixture per cookie... so they turned out rather flat, although they apparently tasted OK – phew!
It got me thinking. Effective marketing needs to know what success looks like. Yet many companies skip developing a marketing strategy (that’s tailored to meeting company objectives), preferring to jump straight into campaigns as a response to the need for leads and sales.
It’s easily done, especially when everyone is busy! Marketing strategy needs thinking time. It requires input and support from senior leadership and sales, to clarify the business and sales objectives, and agree how success will be measured.
This is especially important when realigning product and service offerings to capitalise on market opportunities or shifting focus to showcase your organisation’s sustainability and positive impact.
Here are a few tips:
Schedule regular marketing reviews - such as the first Monday morning of each month or quarter. Getting the first one in everyone’s diaries will be challenging, but will quickly become a routine.
Publish and follow an agenda, to maximise the time available and to allow colleagues to prepare their input.
Discuss openly - you are all on the same team, working collaboratively to achieve company success!
Take time to talk to the marketing agencies/contractors you engage - what trends and opportunities are they seeing?
Consider using an external facilitator* to lead marketing strategy conversations and initiate cross-functional collaboration. They’re an unbiased, extra pair of eyes that help those involved to see each other’s points of view, understand how their different perspectives complement each other and enable balanced decisions.
If you’re brave enough to admit to yourself that you’ve got caught on a marketing campaign hamster wheel, open your diary right now. Schedule yourself a review, making the remainder of this financial year the best start to next year!
*If that’s of interest, drop me a message or book a chat.
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I'm Hannah Welch, a strategic marketing consultant. I help B2B companies, manufacturers & positive impact organisations to develop effective marketing strategies. My marketing advice is bespoke to each client, harnessing their knowledge and expertise, meeting their objectives and developing growth.
Image: my first attempt at baking Anzac cookies – rather flat and oddly shaped, but tasty!