Underpinning all the really practical ideas in Watertight Marketing, there are the Four Foundation Leaks. These are very much about your marketing mindset. If you don’t have these things in place for your business, it’s highly likely that your marketing activity plan will lose energy over time. I asked Certified Practitioner, Julie Mitchell-Mehta to zoom in on one of these – Unused Marketing Muscles – to bring it to life. ~ Bryony Thomas
We’re big fans of the fitness analogy here at Watertight Marketing. So, how do you make sure your marketing activity plan is in good shape? (See also Chapter 2 and Chapter 11 of Watertight Marketing)
I met the owners of a small business last week. They have done next to no marketing activity in recent years, and are now investing in a new website. They were asking for advice on what else they should do in order to fulfil the business’s long-neglected growth potential… this is what we talked about:
Your marketing activity plan needs a healthy balance of techniques…
The first thing they need to think about is a range of activities. With most clients, I find that they have been active in one or two areas, usually generating awareness and interest, but there are gaps downstream. This is where assessing your business against the Thirteen Touchpoint Leaks™ is invaluable, as it very quickly identifies the biggest gaps and highlights the top marketing priorities. For this business, there were gaps right at the bottom… a leaky bucket to use Watertight Marketing language.
In order to achieve a balanced marketing activity plan, the business will need to start communicating with existing and previous customers, as well nurturing and finding potential new customers. Many businesses see marketing a wholly focused on those new customers. This is like only lifting weights… it leaves your core strength and endurance well below par.
A balanced marketing activity plan includes a mix of online and offline activities, mapped against every step of buying decision. Just as top tennis players spend as much time in the gym as they do on the court, this business will need to devote marketing energy to lapsed, existing and recent enquirers, as well as on wholly new people.
If there’s no pain in your marketing activity plan, there’s no gain
Ask any fitness instructor and they will tell you that you need a regular fitness routine made up of cardio, resistance and a healthy diet in order to keep your body in the best possible shape. As we all know, this doesn’t mean an annual visit to the gym, and the occasional plate of broccoli. It means going to the gym every week, adding in a run, cycle or exercise class, and eating proper, balanced meals every day. It sounds a lot harder now, doesn’t it?
Marketing is the same. It’s not something you can do once a year and hope that’s enough. Or just throw money at when you have time to think about it, or when sales slow down. That’s yo-yo marketing, and it’s one of the fastest ways to run your money, and morale, down the drain.
For my client, this was about understanding that they can’t tick off marketing when that website goes live. They’ll need to commit to putting energy behind it from here on in. There will be days when they’d rather be doing something (anything!) else… but, if they dig deep and stick to the plan, they’ll see the payback.
A sustained, balanced marketing activity plans delivers long-term sales
With a marketing plan that covers a balanced mix of activities… and a commitment to regular, frequent presence in their audience’s eyes, their profile should start to rise over time. ‘Over time’ is a key phrase in that sentence. By asking for advice from the start they now have the mindset to know that this won’t be a magic bullet. Having a fitness mindset has given themselves the best chance of getting fit, avoiding injury, and keeping the business healthy for the long term.
© Watertight Marketing Ltd
