What is Your Brand's Raven?
Here we are, right in the thick of the final season of Game of Thrones. It got me to thinking - even more than 1,500 years ago in the show's fictional setting, people knew how to get their message across (and I'm not talking about with swords or dragonglass). They didn't have to think about Google or Facebook or email or TV - they had one way to broadcast a message to a place they couldn't be: Send a Raven. And hey, it worked. It's how the castles and the cities of the seven kingdoms communicated.
How does your brand communicate? What is your brand's raven? I ask because a recent survey of marketers by CoSchedule illuminated the following:
- 74% of Marketers set goals
- 51% of marketers most of time or always achieve their goals
- Only 16% of marketers have their entire marketing strategy documented
If your entire marketing strategy isn't documented and updated as things evolve, how do you truly know if you're achieving or surpassing your goals? How do you truly know what ravens are driving your brand's best results?
We have many communication channels to consider now. Sure, we don't have to worry about dragons or the Night King - but we do have to worry about how to properly balance all of the different marketing channels at our disposal to figure out which ones are driving the most impact. And for the most part, we do a good job. But, we can do better.
Is it email, content and organic search? You Tube pre-roll, paid social and paid search? Too often, we as marketers get caught up in all of the latest trends and the - "we want a video" "we need a new website" "yes, let's create a Snapchat filter" - that we truly forget what communications are driving the best results. We need a Season 1-6 Tyrion to remind us of the big picture/strategy and to ensure we are:
- Developing a strategy in the first place.
- Truly measuring how well everything we are doing is performing to decide what the best budget allocation is.
Actually, what we really need is the Three-Eyed Raven Bran to help us see the past so we can then better predict the future.
My guess is if you're a marketer reading this, you don't have a Game of Thrones production budget. Maybe it's $250,000 per year. Maybe it's $500,000. Maybe it's over a $1 million. Possibly, it's more. Chances are, it's not. So, you have to be judicious with your funds - heck, even Game of Thrones was as it raced to the finish line with a lightning fast Season 7. You have to really assess what's driving success, and my guess is (and I am more confident in this than my guess on who the Night King is) there are maybe 2-3 really great channels and initiatives that are driving success. This isn't something that might be as exciting as reading a book is to Sam Tarly, but it's likely the truth. So, instead of focusing on all of the latest trends and special effects, focus on doing those 2-3 things that work really well. It might be SEO, email and content. Maybe it's social, online display and PR. Think about it - and get great at it.
Sure, it's 2019 and we have so many options at our disposal as marketers - but back more than 1,500 years ago in the fictitious seven kingdoms, they were able to deliver a pretty clear message with one direct tactic and communication channel.
But in the end, don't worry! It's only marketing. If you don't meet your goals, the Night King isn't going to come after you. You won't be beheaded. Dragon fire won't be aimed your way. You won't be on Cersei's list of enemies or Arya's kill list.
Nope, none of that will happen because when you play the game of marketing, you win or you...simply learn from your mistakes and get better the next time.