STOP making marketing difficult!

It is unbelievably easy to make marketing difficult but actually really difficult to make it easy. 

So many people the world over make marketing out to be some sort of complex science. I presume to make themselves look intelligent or, more likely, to try and justify the money they are charging you!

But marketing isn’t complicated. I am firmly of the belief that marketing is just common sense with some good ideas thrown in on top. The entire business function should be renamed just that.

Must know marketing frameworks

Todays newsletter was brought about by a post on social media entitled ‘must know marketing frameworks’ which included:

No offense to the creator but this is absolute rubbish. Do you need to know all of this nonsense to run a successful marketing campaign or be a successful marketer? Absolutely not. 

Will you have more effective marketing ignoring this complicated jargon? 9 times out of 10, yes. 

Because here is the thing that everyone in marketing forgets: whilst marketers spend countless hours swooning over nonsense like this, no one in the real world actually cares! 

Keep it simple

So what should you do for your next campaign? Firstly, ignore 90% of the complex jargon and ask yourself the following 3 questions: 

1. What do you want to say? (The creative)
2. Where are you going to say it? (The channel)
3. What ‘mechanical advantage’ can you use to tip the balance in your favour? (The tactics)

Top tip #1: focus your energy on number 1 before considering 2 and 3. 

Oh, but Sandy, don’t you need to have your jargon filled marketing strategy with indicative target market analysis and brand onions nailed down beforehand? Possibly, so ask yourself the following 4 questions:

1. Who are you talking to?
2. What are you saying to them?
3. How are you going to reach them?
4. How much is it going to cost?

That will form the 90% of your marketing strategy. 

You can go as deep as you want on all of these but do you really need to know that your ‘avatar’ Karen from Birmingham only drinks flat white coffees between the hours of 7am - 9am on alternate Tuesdays? No. 

Top tip #2: strategy is good but doing stuff is a lot better.

Marketing shouldn’t be complicated but unfortunately so many people the world over like to make it so. Strip it back to the fundamentals and enjoy the clarity that brings. 

When you’re ready, here are 3 ways I can help you cut through the marketing BS and make it more effective.

Until next week.....