It may sound odd, but taking care of your marketing is a lot like working out.
Here are 4 reasons why:
1. Starting ain’t easy
For a fitness neophyte, the thought of getting off the couch and taking charge of your health can seem downright unappealing. Does walking to the mailbox count as a workout? Will going to the gym become my entire personality? What the heck is pre-workout?! In the same way, a lot of businesses who haven’t ventured into the marketing world before are often hesitant to touch marketing with a 10ft pole.
We’ve made it this far without it- why start now?
The overwhelm is valid. There are thousands of tools and approaches and strategies, and yet your budget can only handle one of ’em if you’re lucky. But that’s the thing- the starting is what matters. It gets a whole lot easier once you’re actually on the track.
2. Motivation is fuel
If you don’t have a real purpose or drive behind working out, eventually you’ll crash and burn. People don’t begin their life-altering fitness journeys because one day they just woke up and felt like it. The same goes for your marketing. It should be driven by what lies in the deep beneath your brand, by the pounding heartbeat of your business that keeps you going on the hard days. Establish clear goals and figure out what drives you, then remind yourself of them every step of the way.
3. You won’t (and shouldn’t) get instant results
People are going to try to sell you a quick fix. Just take this pill, and you’ll lose all that weight and more! Sorry to break it to you, pal, but that’s just not how it works. Most of the time with both marketing and fitness, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Even if it seems like you’re getting instant results, booms aren’t sustainable. Marketing is about long-term solutions and laying the foundation for growth. You won’t be able to run a marathon as soon as you lace up those brand new running shoes, so don’t expect your numbers to skyrocket the moment you start your new marketing efforts. Good marketing provides steady, consistent, upward trending growth. That growth curve is gonna look real good once you give it some time!
4. If you’re overwhelmed, call the pros
Doing your own research is fine and dandy, but you’ll quickly find that a lot of wacky people on the internet will say a lot of different things about pretty much everything. You really wanna trust the opinions of Reddit user MrNacho4556? To combat info overload, it can be beneficial to consult the people who work with the stuff for a living.
Personal trainers, for example, create custom workout plans that consider things like your body type, past injuries, and goals so that you are set up for success from the get-go. The marketing blog that popped up in your google search might sound pretty nice, but it can’t possibly know the ins and outs of your company, your 3 year goals, or your company values.
Working with a marketer or an agency who knows the nitty gritty things about your business can make all the difference. They can develop a custom marketing strategy for you, taking into account the important things like your budget, your target market, and your long-term goals so you can be confident your marketing dollars are actually doing something.
Creative Pulse
What we’ve seen in the world
Chipotle Napkin Holders. Earlier this year, Chipotle made a genius marketing play by releasing a branded napkin holder that attaches to your car visor. Not only was it a fun, exclusive release that gained attention, but it also sent the clear message to consumers that the brand truly knows them. It addressed the all-too-common scenario of customers’ center consoles overflowing with Chipotle napkins from to-go orders and simultaneously placed the company’s logo just above drivers’ line of sight in their vehicles. Nice move, Chipotle.
Asher Perlman’s Painfully Relatable Cartoons, Asher is a cartoonist for The New Yorker. He always hits the nail on the head with his cartoon portrayal of the awkward, humorous, painfully relatable moments and conversations that make us human. Quality humor is hard to achieve, but this guy’s got it down.
An interview with Doug Mills. Political photographer Doug has been photographing presidents since 1983, but his most recent photos of the assassination attempt on former President Trump may become the most famous of his career. In this interview he shares the advice he got from his mentor (who captured the famous images of the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan) that came into play in a truly critical moment.
Dredged Up
Inspirational muses for the right brain
