Impactful Marketing Comes From Connection

Impactful marketing is marketing that has a strong, meaningful and positive effect on people and situations to deliver business outcomes.?

But can impactful marketing exist without first building strong connection?

I don’t think so.?

For a long time, in my career and in my work, I often asked an overarching question ‘How can I show I’m (/the business is) credible?’. The measure of credibility is rooted in whether you can persuade others that something will happen or be successful after all. A pretty useful outcome for a marketer, or so I thought.?

Then I landed on a different question, ‘How can I (/the business) deliver impact?’. The measure of which is baked into the perceptions of others.?

When moving from the first question to the second, the focus flips.? Credibility looks inwardly at oneself and what you (/the business) bring(s) to the table. Impact looks outwardly at your audience and the influence your actions have on them. It changes the focus from what you can impart to how you can connect.

And to connect, and know you have actually built a connection, you have to have the curiosity to understand, and the generosity to be of value. Two qualities that become superpowers for an impactful marketer.

How? Here are a few thoughts on how you can start to build better connection with your audience:

1. Understand - read what they read, attend events they go to, have quality conversations, send out a survey if you need to. Grasp what keeps them awake at night, and why. Ask meaningful questions about what matters to them. Be curious.

2. Deliver value - once you understand what they care about, find ways to deliver true value. Bring them answers, support them in their roles, connect them with others. Be generous.?

3. Listen to feedback - find out what they find valuable, what they do not. Understand what helps and what hinders, and why. Connect - it’ll help you to deliver better connection in the future.

And the beauty of taking this approach is that it helps to build connection with any stakeholder. And, can be applied to yourself, you team ethos or the business you serve.?

If you read the points above with your buying audience or customers in mind, read them again and think of how they applies to your colleagues, the individuals in your team or to your network. Impactful marketing stems from having a strong, positive and meaningful effect on them too.?

So, how are you delivering impact? Ask yourself, ask your team, ask your business. It’ll force you to look outwardly, to be curious, to be generous, and to build better connection with others.