Last Monday I shared 12 common problems associated with\u00a0digital marketing strategy development.\u00a0 Since I\u2019m not one to talk problems and not offer solutions, over the next few weeks I will address these problems one by one.<\/p>\n
The first problem discussed was as follows:<\/p>\n
1.\u00a0 Lack of understanding what image you are trying to project<\/strong><\/p>\n
You need to understand this from the start and have a style behind the image, along with substance to back it up.\u00a0 It also needs to resonate with key audiences.\u00a0 Most are not consciously sculpting how they are perceived or creating any reason they should get noticed in the first place.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The solution to this is obvious:\u00a0 spend time defining what image\/identity you want to project, and infuse it with your communications, design and branding across platforms.<\/p>\n
But how can you know what image should you project in the first place?<\/p>\n
Understanding your audience\u00a0is step one.\u00a0 But to reach them in any kind of meaningful way, you need to go further:\u00a0\u00a0you must be your audience<\/strong>.\u00a0 It is not enough merely to study them, you\u2019re only flirting with the necessary insights.\u00a0 If you\u2019re a strategist or consultant but always an outsider you will never achieve the level of insight available to insiders.\u00a0 It\u2019s the same reason those not part of a generation almost always get their\u00a0analysis of that generation wrong.<\/p>\n
A quote from Robert Greene\u2019s new book,\u00a0the 50th law, clarifies the logic behind this:<\/p>\n
Understand:\u00a0 in this day and age, to reach people you must have access to their inner lives \u2013 their frustrations, aspirations, resentments.\u00a0 To do so, you must crush as must distance as possible between you and your audience.\u00a0 You enter their spirit and absorb it from within.\u00a0 Their way of looking at things becomes yours, and when you re-create it in some form of work, it has life.\u00a0 What shocks and excites you will then have the same effect on them.\u00a0 This requires a degree of fearlessness and an open spirit.\u00a0 You are not afraid to have your whole personality shaped by these intense interactions.\u00a0 You assume a radical equality with the public, giving voice to people\u2019s ideas and desires.\u00a0 What you produce will naturally connect, in a deep way.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Being your target will give you the perspective necessary to know what image\/identity will actually resonate.\u00a0 Companies (and professionals) willing and able to put themselves in the shoes of their targets will always win against those who hide in castles and view things from the \u201cexpert\u201d perspective.\u00a0 Being an expert is well and good, but ultimately you\u2019ll lose against others who may not even be as smart but have the advantage of an insider perspective.\u00a0 I\u2019d always rather be able to empathize with my audience than have those in ivory towers telling me how I should connect with them.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m a coffee lover and web user.\u00a0 I had an unfair advantage when developing the\u00a0java beta test.\u00a0 I knew both audiences inside and out, so marketing to them was effortless.\u00a0 If I get a client or brand in an industry I\u2019m unfamiliar with, I try their product\/technology and become a member of the relevant communities prior to developing strategies.\u00a0 I did the same thing before developing my own identity in the marketing industry.\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t first, but I didn\u2019t need to be \u2013 I became an active member of the existing communities and as an insider it became clear what path to take and the strategy necessary, including what image and identity I should project.<\/p>\n
Again and again during identity development researching isn\u2019t enough when others are actually participating.\u00a0 You\u2019ll miss the mark when the path can be obvious and apparent.\u00a0 If any part of your marketing strategy is not both obvious and apparent to you, you\u2019re probably trying to force it even if data exists behind it.\u00a0 Become your audience instead of just studying them and clarity of the image you should convey will be a byproduct.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Last Monday I shared 12 common problems associated with\u00a0digital marketing strategy development.\u00a0 Since I\u2019m not one to talk problems and … <\/p>\n