5 Lessons that Chess Can Give Marketing

It’s International Chess Day.

I personally believe that regardless of professions, everyone should try to play chess. It’s not always about winning, but with Chess, sometimes it’s simply about learning.

So in marking this special day, it brings to mind in what way can some of the principles of chess carry over to marketing processes, namely around strategy.

The importance of strategy is no secret, but is often overlooked. The key to success can be more than just carefully thinking about your next move, but also leaving room to improvise. Strategy can give you a tremendous advantage in marketing.

Lesson #1 Pull your Audience In

Chess teaches us about art of drawing our opponent into the game. Marketing content works the same way. We have to make sure that our prospect is following us, constantly feeding and nurturing them in the way we want.

Lesson #2 Keep Your Eye on Your Competition

Paying attention to your opponent’s actions is one of the most important aspects of chess. You just can’t win by simply following a single strategy without regard to the opponent’s moves. This rings true for marketing as well, and keeping up with the competition’s moves, like following their social posts and getting their newsletter, can guide your next marketing move. If something works for them, then maybe it’s worth exploring.

Lesson #3 Use?All Your Pieces

In chess, it’s impossible to win with just one piece, even though the queen is the most powerful piece on the board. Also for marketing, we need to have a variety of tactics in our marketing arsenal. Maybe the last social media campaign was great, but it won’t do the job alone. This still means leveraging SEO, PPC platforms, and a variety of other strategies to continue to ensure success.?The businesses that dominate are the ones that learn how to use ALL the different marketing tactics available.

Lesson #4 Do Your Research

A strong opener in chess can set up your whole game and put you in the strongest possible position going forward. This also works for marketing strategies. Doing the groundwork from the outset can put everything else into place. This means understanding everything about your company, your market and your position within it. Do as much as possibly, even if you feel like it’s not relevant for this moment.

Lesson #5 Sacrifice Early for Long Term Gains

One would be hard pressed to win a game without sacrificing pawns. The art of the sacrifice is critical in marketing as well. To get new customers, you may have to sacrifice an initial profit. That initial loss may end up getting a prospect hooked, and can be well worth it in the long run.

Chess has delivered lessons for centuries. So mastering these essential aspect of the game can also make a difference in your marketing.