Marketing has always been essential to the strategic communications toolkit and is an especially sought after skill. More and more businesses today understand the role strategic marketing plays in creating brand awareness, generating interest and driving sales. Despite its old reputation of being an easy and effortless practice, good marketing requires a sophisticated set of strategies, tactics, metrics and expertise.
So what is it about marketing that makes it so important? Read on as we discuss why marketing is more than just posting on social media, with inputs from our in-house experts Sean Sandhurst, Head of Marketing, and Jaime Wood, Head of Strategy and Entrepreneur in Residence.
We’ve identified three key aspects that make marketing the professional and skilled practice it is: value-based, aligned with corporate goals and strategic.
Value-based Marketing.
Marketing has shifted from being a cost centre to a revenue generator (with some exceptions, like a marketing campaign aimed at raising awareness which can’t be measured). It creates and showcases ways your diverse audiences can get involved to create, develop or purchase your products and services. To really hone in on and make the most of what marketing has to offer, you need to analyze what value your business places on marketing.
Even if you’re just starting up your business, marketing is an important area to invest time and money in. As Jaime points out, “marketing at an early-stage helps establish your unique brand voice, raise awareness about your offerings and build trust and credibility with your audience.” How important is marketing to your business? Do you view it as a way to increase revenue or enhance reputation? These are all questions you need to take into consideration when assessing what marketing really means for your business.
Aligned With Corporate Goals.
Marketing is most effective and successful when done in alignment with the overarching objectives of the organization. Understanding what your business goals are helps direct your efforts towards a targeted marketing campaign with a specific aim. Whether your business wants to focus on revenue growth, lead generation, reputation management or stakeholder relations, identifying the organization’s long and short-term vision allows you to plan and execute campaigns accordingly.
“For successful marketing,” says Sean, “everyone needs to row towards the same end which means your efforts need to be in collaboration and in accordance with your business plan and goals.” Aligning your marketing efforts with the overall corporate goals of the organization is not easy and requires significant planning. This is where strategy comes in.
Strategy, Strategy, Strategy.
Understanding what to market when, where and how is important. Not only does getting your message in front of a highly distracted audience take expertise and skill, it requires strategy. How do you cut through the noise with a constant and consistent enough message that compels your audience to take the desired action? You strategize, plan, execute and measure.
Strategizing allows you to make the most of your marketing efforts whether that is in the form of co-branding partnerships, social media campaigns, multi-channel marketing, or targeted tactics. Marketing isn’t an exact science. An expert skilled in the art of marketing understands niche audiences and appreciates the importance of meeting them where they are in terms of their unique place in the customer journey as well as the specific platforms and channels they use.
Marketing is more than just posting on social media. At The Agency, we understand that. That’s why we work closely with our clients to ensure that all our marketing efforts are strategically planned, effectively executed and accurately measured.
Looking for professional strategic marketing services? Get in touch, let’s discuss.
