Don't listen to the pros; communicate your way.
Most marketing professionals suffer from constant information overload. At least ten must-read articles cross my path every day, while hundreds of “get-to-them-later” posts wait in my reader. Today, a few of those must-reads were “how-to” posts from industry pros that I completely disagreed with.
I do not want to undermine the value of how-to posts. These articles are valuable and without them, I’d be lost. But it’s important to remember that most of this information is not the end all, be all of corporate communication. Not only because technology is ever-changing, but because what doesn’t work for one business might actually work for another.
It’s certainly easy to follow instructions from seasoned professionals, but don’t just take the information and run with it. We cannot expect another company’s tactics to pan out perfectly for our unique business needs. I believe this lack of reflection is to blame for many initiatives failing miserably.
Thought leaders on corporate blogging tell us that quality content is king. While I do agree, some blogs simply do not write quality content. Instead, these bloggers mobilize readers to write quality content in the comments section. The Merrill Dubrow Blog is an example. This is a widely-read blog in the market research industry. Merrill is a great blogger and some of his posts are in fact helpful. However, most of them are simply fun and have little to do with market research. This strategy works for his business.
So read the how-to posts and use them as a starting point if you need one. But remember that it might not work for you or your company, and here’s where the importance of testing comes in. If you aren’t quantifying your initiatives, you are wasting time. Follow the leader to begin, but remember that your own creativity and ideas will most likely be your jackpot. As you take advice from industry veterans, question them and question whether or not their strategy fits your business goals. If you don’t do this, you will fail sooner or later.
I think the most important thing I ever read in a marketing book is the simplest. Who was the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic? Lindbergh. Who was the second? Who knows?
Yet what’s important here is the word “solo”. There’s always a first in one area or another, a place where anyone can be the market leader. This takes two things – understanding the opportunity and being yourself, not someone else!
I find as a writer that my clients have to find their voice, first and foremost. If you do that, and tell your story well, you will make progress. I can’t find the new frontiers for them, but I can help them explain just why they are leaders. It’s a lot of fun when it comes together!
Thanks for the comment, Erik. I think you bring up another important point. If everyone always listened to these “do and don’t”s from industry pros, nobody would do anything original. There would be no pioneers. I was thinking specifically to internet marketing here but you’ve really opened my mind to anyone trying to market.
It’s important to read the success and failure stories and build upon them. But like you said, the key is being yourself and not someone else.
Thanks again for posting!