The proverbial mental block. Hitting the creative wall. We’ve all been there – the moments when you need a great idea to propel your company’s or cause’s marketing and you’re completely frozen. As you try to get your creative juices flowing, it’s important to keep the fundamentals of great marketing in mind. Here are five great quotes about marketing that will help to stoke your creative fire and remind you what matters most when it comes to communicating with and marketing to your target audiences.
“The best marketing doesn’t feel like marketing.” ~Tom Fishburne
Nobody wants their prospects and customers to feel fatigued by the sales process. Nor do they want them to perceive every engagement with the brand as a sales pitch. Great marketing educates, inspires and activates. It is authentic, relatable and engaging. It builds excitement and drives demand for products, services…and experiences. When you’re inspired to work with an organization, to engage with a vendor or partner, or to become part of a great cause or mission, you often forget you were ever even marketed to.
“The best marketing strategy ever: CARE.” ~Gary Vaynerchuk
After B2B and B2C came B2H – business to human. People want to do business with people, not robots (no disrespect to Rosie or R2-D2, of course). By actively addressing concerns and customer service inquiries, proactively informing stakeholders about changes that impact them and consistently demonstrating an understanding of their buyer personas across all communications, companies can demonstrate their care for and investment in their clients and customers. As noted earlier on in this post, authenticity is a critical component of great marketing and a great way to showcase your organization’s authenticity it through the genuine care you show for your clients, their companies and their goals.
“Don’t find customers for your products; find products for your customers.” ~Seth Godin
Who enjoys being sold things that they don’t need? My point exactly. As Seth Godin notes, it’s not about finding people to buy your widgets, it’s about making the widgets that people need. While it may seem like a game of semantics, there is a significant different between finding people who fit your products and making products that fit your people.
When companies take the time to do their homework and learn what makes their clients tick, they are able to deliver products and services that are relevant, offer high value and solve problems and challenges their clients face on a daily basis. By demonstrating a strong understanding of their audiences’ wants and needs, companies build trust, gain brand equity and win market share.
“Marketing without data is like driving with your eyes closed.” ~Dan Zarrella
The beauty of digital marketing, in particular, is the ability to measure results. From Facebook insights to Google Analytics to ConstantContact and MailChimp reporting, data is at marketers’ fingertips and it allows companies to make more informed decisions about how and where to allocate their resources. Whether honing your marketing strategy for the upcoming year, a timely event or creative campaign, let data guide your strategy. While it can be tempting to embrace the newest social media marketing tools or communications concepts, it is important to seize opportunities to replicate one’s prior successes.
“The best marketing of all is happy clients.” ~Susan Stripling
Referral marketing. The power of word-of-mouth and word-of-mouse. Online review sites, in particular, offer companies an added opportunity to leverage happy clients as a core component of their marketing toolkit. Some restaurants encourage online reviews through table cards and marketing on takeout containers, while many doctors’ practices leverage email marketing and post-appointment surveys as tools for collecting testimonials and accolades. Since online review sites are open communications forums, it is critical for companies to actively monitor online review sites (and social media platforms) for brand mentions as negative commentary should be addressed in a timely manner and the appropriate fashion. And, tying back to Gary Vaynerchuk’s point about the importance of caring, take the time to acknowledge and thank those in your client pool and larger community who do take the time to make introductions and referrals, and leave positive online reviews.
While the right mix of marketing strategies and tactics is unique to every organization, the attributes of great marketing can be universal. As you work to hone your marketing plans, incorporate new tactics and devise creative ways to engage new and existing audiences, keep these marketing mantras top-of-mind as inspiration can come from a great many places.
What quotes and marketing mantras stoke your creative fire?
