GNT #028: Build a world-class marketing strategy in 5 minutes

Read time: 4.5 minutes

This week we're going back to the fundamentals.

I've talked to many people lately that are frustrated in the weeds - and not seeing results.

They need to get their teams or solo activities aligned with a better defined strategy.

(spinning wheels in weeds = no fun)

If you need to get your partner, client, boss, employee, leadership team, or your own head re-aligned with a better defined marketing strategy, quickly...

this article is for you.

Or perhaps you're frustrated because you don't have a great marketing strategy in place.

OR your team has a great one, but no one has explained it to you.

I've got you - with some simplified wisdom from Rand Fishkin, founder of Moz and SparkToro.

Today, we'll cover how to build a world-class marketing strategy in 5 minutes.

You could even do this on your whiteboard right now.

The only requirement is -- we need great answers to the following questions.

Ready?

Let's do this.
 

#1 - What are we selling?

The first thing you need to answer is, WHAT product or service are you selling? You need to understand it inside and out.

HOW TO ANSWER / WHERE TO GO:

This should come from your leadership team. If you're the business owner, you need to define this. Understand your product’s unique selling points and why it's different and better suited to solve a unique problem. If you don't know your product, you can't communicate its value.

#2 - To whom?

Next, WHO are you selling to? Who cares about the problem you solve and your solution to it.

HOW TO ANSWER / WHERE TO GO:

Conduct market research, 3rd party surveys, web searches, or DIY your own research. Understand your buyer. Not just their age, location, titles, but a deep understanding of what they want in life.

#3 - Why do they care?

Knowing your audience isn't enough, you need to understand WHY your product matters to them. What problem are you solving for them, and why does your solution uniquely solve their problem?

HOW TO ANSWER / WHERE TO GO:

Talk to your customers. And I mean real people. Conduct interviews and surveys to understand why they care about the problem you're solving. This firsthand information can reveal super important insights into their motivations and pain points.

*This is the whole reason Snickers figured out that they should position their candy bar as a "hunger" solution vs. a tasty treat. Because customers said they ate it as a meal replacement or for energy when they were "hungry."

#4 - What message will resonate?

Having defined your audience and understood their needs, it's time to craft a MESSAGE that will resonate with them.

HOW TO ANSWER / WHERE TO GO:

Listen and test. You can figure out what people are talking about through your survey knowledge, listen on social media, and your DIY research. You're looking for the exact phrasing, words, and themes they use when talking about their problems and your solutions. Use these terms in your messaging to create that, "I get it and I want this solution" moment.

#5 - Which channels & tactics?

Finally, you need to identify the most effective way to reach your audience. This isn't just about picking a marketing channel (events, social, content, email, ads, etc.) but identifying WHERE your audience spends time and engages in conversation about their problem.

Many people jump into this step first or think this is what strategy is all about. But we know it's a combination of all these steps.

HOW TO ANSWER / WHERE TO GO:

Do competitive research and go back to your audience research to identify where your customers are active. Test and see where you're getting the best response. It could be a social media platform, email, events, referrals, or even private channels.

Takeaways

A phenomenal marketing strategy that will get results does this:

[right message + right place + right people + right time]

 A tall order, but by giving great answers to these five questions, you're already halfway there.

1 - What are we selling?
2 - To whom?
3 - Why do they care?
4 - What message will resonate?
5 - Which channels & tactics?

Challenge for this week - how can you apply these questions to your current marketing strategy?

I'd love to hear about it. 

I'm always rooting for you.

See you next week.

Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:


1. Need some guidance? I'm here to help. It's easy to book time with me. Book a 1:1 worksession with me now.


2. Have a topic you want broken down into actionable steps? Send it to me and I'll write about it.

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