Like many other things in life, we tend to overcomplicate our strategies to build our brands and reach our customers. Of course, marketing has deep complexities around pricing strategies, customer psychographics, analytics, keyword research, and a thousand other areas.
But keeping our go-to-market strategy simple and focused is fundamental to our success. If we don’t master the basics, we’ll never excel with the complex. So, let’s undercomplicate this stuff.
Focus on the BIG picture.
Everyone wants their customers to love them. And celebrate them. And spread the word about them. And never leave them for a competitor.
Few ever achieve that status (think Amazon). But here’s why they do:
They initiate the love.
These companies rush to delight their customers. They build systems around helping their customers. They build products and services focused on making their customers’ lives better.
After you’ve demonstrated your passion for your customer, only then can you hope to see that love and commitment reciprocated.
You can’t help everyone.
Unless you have billions of dollars ready to go, you can’t hit everyone. Pick those whom you can best serve. Focus on a smaller audience.
Companies used to employ the shotgun approach. They could shout a single message to a broad audience through newspapers or television. Because consumer options were few, competitors were scarce, and budgets were large – this worked – for select brands.
But today, the landscape has flipped upside down.
Your prospective customers have a wide variety of media options, competition is fierce, and budgets are small and tightly managed.
Rather than spraying a message to everyone, you have to choose wisely…and focus.
Create content that helps your audience.
Create products. And services. And content…that helps your customer. Set them up for success.
It sounds ridiculous to have to say that.
Most companies start with the goal of benefitting the customer, but many gradually turn to prioritize their own needs above their customers’. Cheaper materials. Faster processes. Less human interaction. All designed to benefit themselves, regardless of the negative impact on their customers. They lose customer loyalty and quickly become expendable.
So, don’t do that. Make your customers’ success the foundation of every decision.
Go where they hang out.
Once you’ve chosen your audience and are creating stuff that makes their lives better, it’s time to get the word out.
Discover where your people hang out. On LinkedIn? On Facebook? On Pinterest? Traditional venues?
Put your message where they’re most likely to see it and engage with it. Invest time and attention there. Don’t be super salesy. Build a relationship.
Make them your hero. And maybe one day, you’ll become theirs.
Undercomplicated is better.
Keeping it simple will help you keep your eye on the ball. The hard part is doing it. But you’re not in business to take the easy path.
Now go and delight your customers!
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And if you’d like a partner to help you build your brand, leverage technology tools, and grow your revenue, contact us at Emory Solutions.
