Is This One Thing Preventing You From Achieving Real Growth?

What if I told you that many executives and marketing leaders are focused on the wrong things? And those things include …

• Social media activity
• Website updates and content
• Digital advertising campaigns
• Email marketing programs
• Search engine optimization
• Marketing automation
• Content development

You’d say I was crazy. Right? 

After all, on the surface, investing in these areas makes good business sense. However, you might be surprised to hear that these investments, made at the wrong time, may actually hinder short-term and long-term growth rather than increase business performance. 

That is because these, and other demand-generation investments, require one thing to be successful.

What is that one thing? 

A clear, relevant and consistent corporate message. 

Without that — you’ll simply be turning up the volume on a fragmented message that does not connect with customers and will not deliver maximum ROI. The fact is … 

Launching a new website will not produce material results if the messaging throughout the site does not engage and convert customers. 

Increasing social media activity can create more confusion than clarity around your brand if it is not aligned with your corporate message. 

Producing more content that is not aligned and connected with your messaging will simply create more noise. 

Automating marketing campaigns may be a waste of time if the messaging contained within these campaigns is not meaningful or relevant to your target audience. 

Increasing search engine optimization won’t produce measurable results if the messaging used to convert traffic is not aligned with what you do and the value you deliver. 

Investments, like these, that are designed to “share” your story will only produce maximum returns if the message you are delivering is clear, relevant and consistent. 

So, answer these final questions …

Isn’t our message the one thing that has the single largest impact on lead generation, sales effectiveness, converting new customers and building lasting relationships with the customers we already have?

Isn’t our message the one thing that will truly drive a higher return on our marketing investments, improve our customer experience and accelerate business growth?

If you answered “yes” to these questions, then do the right thing and move this one thing to the top of your initiatives list. It will ensure the return you receive on every other sales and marketing investment you make … is that much greater. 

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James F. O’Gara, is the CEO and founder of OnMessage. He is also a recognized thought leader in the strategic messaging and communications space. O'Gara has unsurpassed expertise helping executive teams convert strategic communications into capital (customer relationship, employee engagement and brand loyalty) that fuels sustained business growth. Having worked with executive teams across hundreds of high-growth and Fortune 1000 companies he has witnessed firsthand — what works, what doesn’t and how to maximize the return on every communications investment you make.

OnMessage is the B2B communications consultancy executives call when it counts. When strategic shifts in the business take place, when financial performance is on the line and when the message absolutely must deliver material business results. To learn more visit www.itsonmessage.com.