In partnership with some of the best creative and marketing professionals in the Valley, and thanks to support from APS, we kicked off our 2nd Annual Marketing Symposium Series last week with Bright Brothers Strategy Group. We learned that we need to check ourselves before we wreck ourselves! Seriously…did you know that marketing is not about yelling, that Delice Bistro has mouth-watering almond croissants, that emails are REALLY important, and that Facebook loves videos? Just in case you missed out, here are 8 takeaways from “Check Yourself! Marketing Audits to Assess Your Assets”.
1. Define Success
What is successful marketing anyway – is it leads, is it staying within a certain budget, email open rate, revenue – what is it? While I can’t answer that question for you, I can tell you that a definitive set of measures for marketing success should be created. Ideally, they should align with the strategies and goals of your company. This step is crucial. How do we know if we’re successful if we don’t define exactly what success looks like?
2. POSTR Process
POSTR is an acronym that stands for People, Objectives, Strategies, Tactics, and Results. While it is a tried and true method for effective marketing, it can also be used in everyday situations like moving to a different location, planning a housewarming parting, and even deciding what to get your best friend for his/her birthday.
3. Assets & Audit
Apparently there are two types of existing assets we need to assess – primary and partner assets. In both instances, we should be asking ourselves two questions: 1) What do we have? and 2) What do we need? I know from my experience in my current position, that partners are a huge marketing asset for us.
4. Post Mortem & Surveys
Yes, you should test and analyze to maximize results. Following up with your audience is just as important to connecting with them. Survey Monkey is a quick, easy, and FREE way to do this. With that being said, pay attention to the responses that you get. Ask your new customers how they heard about you and track as much as you can. Their feedback is a valuable tool, so use it!
5. Create Your Plan
If you didn’t already know, we learned that failing to plan is planning to fail. A marketing plan is an essential tool for business. Developing one will help you think about what makes your business unique and how to get the message out. Just as you plan for other aspects of your business, such as inventory, production and billing, thinking ahead about your marketing efforts is key to staying competitive – it too, should be a strategic part of your business.
6. Editorial Calendar
Once you have identified relevant events and activities, incorporate your marketing plan into your current time management system. Some people find it easiest to use a wall calendar. Others like a desk calendar or something electronic – people seem to be most familiar with Outlook, Google Shared Forms, and Basecamp. A few coworkers and myself are currently experimenting with Nozbe – so far, so good!
7. Weekly Action Plan
With so many things going on and so many things to do, how can we possibly keep up? I know that I have personally benefitted from putting several of Bright Brothers’ methods into action, with the understanding that this is truly a marathon, not a race. Not only have they been a valuable resource for our organization, but some of their strategies have funneled down into my workflow and I am already tracking results!
8. Strive or Kaizen
Say what? Kaizen is actually a Japanese term that means “continuous improvement”. It was a concept that the Japanese originally applied to the workplace, and it refers to activities that continuously improve all functions and involve all employees from the CEO to the assembly line workers. This concept was, and is still key to Japan’s competitive success, and could be an important pillar of your company’s long-term strategy as well. Say it with me…KAI ZEN.
Questions?
If you missed the first class of the series, no worries – there are plenty of opportunities to sponge out and get some really valuable marketing insight. This series is especially exciting for me because I get to swap hats on class days – I turn in the professional fedora and put on my student toboggan. Marketing is an industry that is constantly evolving and changing, so I’m always game for an opportunity to learn. This series is a great way to meet people in the community as well. I hope to see some new faces at the next class. Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions. Otherwise, check out the series HERE and reserve your seats! Did I mention that lunch is provided?