SOURCE: Movieworld.com.au
Is your marketing strategy like a roller coaster?
Plunging. 115km per hour down an eighty nine degree vertical drop, marketing, strategy and planning are far from my mind. Trapped in the hurtling train, I am being pushed, spun and twisted along the contorted, steel rollercoaster track. My head forced to the left, forced to the right, then pushed back against the seat.
Had I not previously watched hundreds of people queuing, riding and safely climbing out of the rollercoaster train, I certainly would have thought I was spiralling, uncontrollably to my doom.
My train abruptly pulls to a stop before the platform. I peel my pale, bloodless fingers from the hand grips, relax my rigid body and with my hands covering my horribly stunned face, I laugh…ok cry, in relief. THAT, I guess, was product delight and customer satisfaction! Without any question, I had been thrilled.
Marketing strategy - The Planning
The fact is lots of thought, planning, design and expert engineering mastery went into the rollercoaster. It would have started with a customer want: “I want to be thrilled!” The planning process: the who, the what, the where, the how, the when, etc, evolved from that basic consumer want.
SOURCE: HubAuto Racing
The planning process would have taken time and developed in consultation with customers in mind. Planning would not have been rushed otherwise critical areas may have been missed, not to mention it could be costly.
In a digital world we have become accustomed to the need for speed. We are in a ‘Post NOW!’ marketing environment with a focus on social media. Scrolling through Facebook feels like a social media marketing rollercoaster full of fear of missing out (FOMO) ads.
For many small businesses, marketing is being rushed with this ‘post now’, must get it out approach. The crucial marketing strategy may never have been developed. Plus, ongoing planning and briefing to creative teams or agency is increasingly overlooked. As a result, the creative and copy may be lacklustre.
Chaotic Panic
In our FOMO panic we try anything – throwing our marketing budget at the latest idea. Meanwhile the basic questions are being missed:
- Who is the target audience;
- What is the key message;
- Where is the most effective marketing channels, and the best time for these channels;
- What are the KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators), how does this meet the business goals;
- How will ROI be accurately measured?
As a small business owner do you really know how effective your marketing is? Measuring engagement does not always lead to PROFITABLE sales.
Stop This Ride! I want to get off!
The old adage: Fail to Plan; Plan to Fail comes to mind. Lack of planning is one of the key reasons why small business fails. The key to effective marketing is active planning.
You wouldn’t ride on a poorly planned or poorly designed roller coaster. Why do it with your marketing? Why do it to your business? Poor planning can lead to grim implications for your business. If your business marketing feels like a rollercoaster, rather than immediately running back around to re-join the ride queue, perhaps it’s time to get out of the line. It’s time to assess your marketing and planning instead.
About Leanne Di Fazio
Leanne has over 20 years marketing experience in large corporates and small business in Australia and the United Kingdom. She is passionate about helping small business grow and thrive. Leanne is the founder of Look Deeper Marketing: who specialise in marketing, strategy and planning for small business. Look Deeper Marketing bring affordable marketing consultancy to small business in the Macarthur and Greater Sydney areas, with packaged options so you know exactly what to expect. Take a ‘deeper look’ at The Strategy Look package to help with your marketing planning.
Look Deeper Marketing: take a deeper look at your marketing.
