Bad advice

I had a friend message me over the weekend...?

“Bec I just read something on a Facebook group that said, “A social media strategy is just a content calendar proposed each month.."

What is your take on this…."

Offftttt firstly I begged her to add me to the closed Facebook group because LET ME AT THEM.

This was two “marketers” saying this!

So instead of rebutting people who clearly have no understanding of strategy… I thought best to educate in channels where I can…

If you get a marketing strategy that is merely a calendar of content each month (and you pay for this.) You my friend have been grossly ripped off…..

Please proceed to listen and read absolutely everything I have ever said about Strategy (or simply reach out.)

It’s comments and marketers like this (yep calling them out) that claim to understand and be able to deliver a strategy that has business owners saying things like?

“Marketing doesn’t work…”

And too often than not I find that people within marketing studios don’t have the capabilities to create strategies, because it’s not in their wheelhouse - they’re absolute weapons at executing, creating, and delivering but lack the ability to understand business direction, understand markets and build strategies to this - rather than just throwing shit at a wall and hoping something sticks…

Strategy requires the ability to view the business outside of just the creative vision.?

And yes, I am calling out my industry, and having a rant and I am not sorry for it.

No one should tell you to spend a cent on anything unless there is purpose and intention behind it which links back to your business direction, and the client you want to serve and can judge an expected ROI, marketing is trial and error, but it is calculated trial and error!

To nut down into the nitty gritty, a social media strategy should lay out 6-12 months of content themes, events and messages you want to deliver, in the format you want to deliver, in whatever channel you have chosen (based on where your ideal clients are making purchasing decisions…) with a clear synopsis of what you expect to happen, what targets are important to you based on ROI, and a clear definition of success vs fail fast…

And allllll of the above should link straight back into every other message that is leaving the business, through whatever channel - email, blog, sales staff, customer service, etc etc (marketing-centric business people!)

If someone delivers you a marketing “strategy”, it is that, a few nice posts, probably some nice aesthetically pleasing things that might get you some likes and engagement, BUT if they have no understanding of everything else happening in your business… that isn't a strategy, it’s a lovely content plan that might give you the greatest insta feed in the history of social media, but none of that matters if you’re not bringing home the bacon…..?

There is enough aesthetically pleasing “How I made X with X” business owners and marketers out there… I think its high time we work towards changing the narrative around marketing to “my marketing is impactful, and makes me more money than I spend on it.”

So do marketing activity with the aim of it delivering on what marketing exists to do… generate leads.

Thanks for reading my ted talk…?

If you need a marketing strategy, I think it is time we talk.

Bec?

xx