How will your marketing break through?

All of us are overloaded with a wall of noise.? As a B2B marketer, how do we create a message that is simple and unique enough that it cuts to our intended audience??

We have more data to work with than ever before.? And we often start by aligning that data to specific personas and try to tailor our messages to many different individuals we want to target.? But if we are trying to be everything to everyone, will we ever break through?

Drew Neisser looks at the most important characteristics of modern marketers by looking at the acronym CATS (which, as a cat person, I can respect) – which stands for:

Courage

Do we have the courage to change?? Can we make a pivot if something isn’t working to be noticed?? This might be true of the products and solutions we offer, how we evolve them, or how we bring them to market.

Do you have the courage to stand out?? What are your biggest fears that keep you from pushing the boundaries of your brand in a meaningful way that will both help and delight your customers?

If you think this is too big of a challenge for you, the good news is that courage can be nurtured!

Art

Start by listening to your customers and your employees.? How do they talk about your brand?

Use that feedback to craft a purpose statement and mission statement – can you describe your company in under 8 words?? Can you keep your messaging as simple as possible?? Is it possible to choose words that are simpler for your audience?

Once you’ve figured out your key purpose – build this out across a messaging framework you can explain to your internal audience.? Employees need to see the connection between the company’s purpose, organization, and role.? Connecting your purpose to your employees’ experience will allow them to internalize it quickly and easily.

Customers need to feel the connection between your brand purpose and their hero’s journey.? Can they trust you to be the guide that helps them achieve their goals?

As part of your brand, build out a tone of voice that is uniquely yours.? Ensure that your staff understands how to leverage that voice in the content they create.? And learn to evolve it over time as the market changes to ensure your brand stays fresh and relevant.

Thought

Your employees are a big part of your product and solutions.? Understand how they connect with your brand and help them tell the story.? Deeply live your company values – celebrate those who walk the walk – to ensure that employees see the connection between your brand and their day-to-day way of working.? This helps them understand what is expected of them as they interact with customers.

Focus on existing customers before spending a lot of time prospecting.? Cultivate customer champions who will be references and advocates for your brand.? Understand if and how your products support your customers’ needs or if additional development and services are required to ensure that interacting and using your products is a positive experience for your customers.?

Science

What metrics define success for your organization?? Start by getting alignment across the organization to define what KPIs are important to ensure you are successful.? Is it employee turnover, customer churn, new customer acquisition, or brand building?? Rank the importance of each metric to prioritize the work that will go into driving and reporting on these results.?

Once you know what data to measure – look at the processes, people, systems, and available data to identify gaps.? Address these gaps slowly by building systems and data to support each metric.? Ensure you have a work breakdown structure for your annual plan to get your team aligned – and communicate two things when planning out each task – how something will be promoted and how it will be measured.? Taking these two steps ensures that your team is not executing on tasks without involving key members of the organization and without understanding how those outputs will impact the bottom line.

Finally – ensure that the team's output is aligned with your tone of voice and brand guidelines.? Consistency in your go-to-market motions is essential to ensure customers gain familiarity with your brand over time.

Breaking through the barrier of endless noise is the mark of true marketing genius. Harnessing the CATS philosophy—Courage, Art, Thought, and Science—allows for a symphony of strategies that resonate deeply with your team and customers. The path to marketing success is not a solo journey; it requires a collective harmony of ideas, insights, and experiences.

So, leap and join the conversation on LinkedIn, where your voice can amplify your brand's unique message. Engage with peers, seek diverse perspectives, and challenge the status quo. Remember, your instruments for success are the courage to adapt, the art of connection, the thoughtfulness of inclusion, and the science of measurement. Play them well, and your marketing will not just break through—it will soar.