What is your problem?

From week to week I work with businesses developing their marketing strategies but what I am really doing is solving a problem. So first I need to know what that problem is. The challenge here is that a lot of business owners may not think they have a problem to fix or what the problem even is. They begin developing marketing material or a strategy before this has been defined. They know they need to spend money on marketing so they set a budget (well sometimes) and they do the traditional things like build a website, get a social account, get some fancy brochures and so on. These are still good marketing ideas if they can solve the problem but you need to ask if this is really benefiting you and your business or is it just useless filler?

I have been in this industry for almost 20 years now and I have seen a lot of amazing marketing ideas and sadly a lot of "not so amazing" ones. I have seen people spend very little on marketing and achieve great results. I have seen people spend hundreds of thousands of dollars and fail. The main reason for a failed marketing strategy is because there is always a problem to be solved and if you do not know or understand that problem then how do you fix it. You might get lucky and your die cut neon foil embossed flyer you really think you need might solve your current business problem but how can you really know until you actually make it and distribute it. But die cut neon foil embossed flyers are not cheap and might be an expensive gamble. Could you of saved a lot of money and sent an email instead? Are you looking to get more customers, retain or acquire new employees, gain more market share? Not all problems are obvious but if you are spending money on marketing you need to know what your marketing efforts needs to do for you and your business.

For example, if you are looking to attract the best talent maybe you need to offer a better environment and culture. You need to showcase this in a social strategy, online video, win awards. Yes, having a great work culture can be and often is a marketing tool. This could be a part of your marketing strategy but most people won't see this as marketing. Marketing should not be considered an "expense". However if you are not getting a return or very little return on this investment than it is absolutely an expense.

So how can you make sure you aren't "wasting" your money? Start by defining 1-3 main problems that need to be addressed? Define those first, then you can begin to develop a plan. Ask yourself "will this solve my problem?". If you can, spend part of your marketing budget defining your challenges and marketing goals. Knowing this will save you a lot of time and money. Steve Jobs said "If you define the problem correctly, you almost have the solution."

If you are interested in some creative ways to define your business challenges and marketing goals message me and we can chat or email [email protected].