A contributor from the Association for Consulting Expertise advises a reader who’s trying to make sense of today’s abundance of marketing technology.
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Q: With so much marketing innovation out there, what do I do?
ACE Advises: Voice search. Hyper-targeting. Artificial intelligence. Geo-fencing. Data and marketing technology are exploding.
There’s so much opportunity to augment our marketing toolbox these days, but so little time to step back and think about what we are really trying to accomplish.
The world of digital marketing has become super-hot, but also super-specialized (and super-confusing). How do we know whether something is a distracting shiny object or if it represents a real opportunity to gain more insights, be more efficient or create more touchpoints? Setting up a new digital platform costs time and money. Why would you spend either if the platform doesn’t get you where you want to be?
Before we adopt a new marketing technology, it’s important to address the basic foundation of your marketing strategy:
- Who are the Ideal Customers that value what you do, are a good fit for your company and are willing and able to pay for that value?
- What do you say to your Ideal Customers to engage them? Do you speak to their current day pain points? What is your company’s impact? Is your value differentiated?
- Where is your marketing messaging showing up? Are you using the right marketing channels? Where are your decision makers? The key is to go where they are.
Once you have your strategic foundation of your who, what and where in place, then you can consider what tools you need to advance your marketing efforts. The latest in marketing technology may help you get there but having your basic strategy in place can help minimize the distraction of shiny objects.
For more on this topic, check out Susan’s recent post on the ACE blog at consultexpertise.com/blog.
Susan Gold of Susan Gold Coaching brings her four decades of business and marketing expertise to business owners who want to grow or attract their aspirational client types, but don’t know where to start. She is based in Portsmouth, N.H., and can be reached at susan@susangoldcoaching.com.