I really enjoyed hosting the BA5 event in September for the Sydney Hills Business Chamber. It’s great to be part of such a proactive chamber, and I am very grateful to be able to connect with all who were there.

We had so many interesting questions on the night, and while we did get through many, there were some we didn’t.

I am on a mission to get businesses out of that ‘Marketing SUCKS Cycle’, so below I’m going to answer the questions I didn’t get to on the night.

While there is no secret formula, quick fix or magic marketing wand to wave, I hope these questions and answers help give you a way out of that cycle.

Q: How do you identify if you are caught into the cycle of chaos with your marketing?

1. Look back at say the last 12 months (or 18-24)
2. Outline every type of marketing activity you have done on a timeline – everything! (Whether you did it yourself or paid someone else to do it)
3. NOW – go to the first activity and write on top: – what were you looking to achieve with that activity – what outcome you were looking for? And how did you decide that this was the activity that would achieve that outcome? (Be honest – even if it was because others were doing it, or someone told you it was going to work.
4. Did you get that outcome you were after? If no, go to the next activity and go back to step 3. If yes, go to the next activity and go back to step 3.
5. If you answered no more often than yes in the previous step, do you understand why?
6. What is your frustration from a level of 1-10? (10 being steam-out-of-your-ears level)

Q: Is there a specific industry that you like to work in?

I have an IT background – I worked in the software industry specifically in manufacturing and distribution for many years, so I have a good understanding that world. More recently, I have been involved with both B2B as well as B2C organisations that have varied from construction and trades to fashion, cosmetic, retail and even some not-for-profits.

My goal at the beginning of any working relationship is to spend as much time as I can learning about the client’s industry and business. There is no cookie cutter approach to marketing, regardless of how many businesses I have worked with in a particular industry.  For me, it’s more about working with companies where our values are aligned.

Q: How do you identify your brand personality?

There are a few ways to help you identify this, which I outlined in the presentation. You can also take the brand personality quiz.

Whether you call it a ‘business personality’ or ‘brand personality’, the goal is to be clear about who you are as a company, and your values – think about this in much the same way you would in identifying and understanding your personality as an individual.

Once you know the personality type that fits your business or personal profile, you can start to tailor the kind of marketing message that reaches and converts your ideal customer!

Going through this process can help you to:

• Understand more about your brand in terms of values and appeal.
• Work out what message will deliver the best results.
• Identify what you really want your customers to know about you.
• Understand the tone best suited to the brand personality you discover.

When you know what your business is all about, you can finally work out a marketing strategy to hit every target bang-on.

Q: Do you think marketing is an art or a science?

I believe it is both. There is a science to marketing, especially around the activities you put in place that are measurable… things like SEO, Google ads, social media… you can look at the results and tweak them, switch them on and off as required.

Where marketing is like art, is in its subjectivity. That’s the stuff that makes it human. The words and images you put together to get reactions. It’s what you make people feel and what people buy into.

Q: How long should it take to see results and what return would be considered success?

This one is a trick question! There are so many things to consider.

1. What are the outcomes you are trying to achieve?
2. Are those outcomes measurable? (There are some that are not)
3. What platforms are you trying to measure? Digital platforms and social media can be easier to measure and may show results within 3-6 months. Other activities where you are not trying to sell, but instead adding value and educating, or creating brand awareness can be much harder to measure. These are typically a longer-term strategy.
4. There should be a balance of both.

Q: You spoke about humanising your messaging. What’s one brand you think does this exceptionally well?

Qantas always pulls the heart strings and reminds us about how much we love being Australian.

Bunnings is always down to earth with everyday/real looking people talking to us as friends would.

Q: Do you have any advice for an effective marketing plan in the education sector?

Look into education marketing. This is an approach for the education sector that looks at turning the school into a brand to increase its visibility and add value. It uses the same channels and strategies as other types of marketing, but with a different focus. Selling tomato sauce is not the same as trying to influence people on a decision that might change their lives. Again, that’s where your messaging is so important – warmth and transparency are key.

Q: Can you share some thoughts on measuring marketing effectiveness and how to compare different channels?

Consistency is key. Whatever activities you choose, it is important to review constantly – don’t set and forget.

Take a look at this YouTube video from Tara Hunt from Canada – I love her insights on marketing.

She talks about metrics being a lie – which can be a good thing, or a bad thing.

Your customer journey is also important here. It’s important to really understand who your customer is and what stimulates them to buy. Then you can choose the channel that best suits their journey – which will get you better results and make your marketing more effective.

Q: How long should you let a marketing strategy go for until you throw in the towel?

The question here is:

Are you talking about a ‘marketing strategy’ or ‘marketing tactics’?

A marketing strategy is the plan, the goals that you put in place once you have done your due diligence with the proper research. This also involves identifying a realistic budget.

Marketing tactics are the activities or platforms you use to achieve that plan and reach your goals. These include SEO, social media, branding, Google ads, website, EDMs, blogs, videos etc.

With a sound strategy and the budget, your marketing should be flexible and agile. You should be keeping it in check ongoing – reviewing at least every six months (and possibly quarterly depending on your circumstances). That way you can tweak as you move forward – you don’t necessarily need to throw in the towel. It could mean reviewing and changing the marketing tactics you have applied.

Of course, to understand when any marketing tactic is not meeting expectations, you must have defined the expectation upfront and then measured the results.

How you define success will depend on your business and the platform, but here is a broader rule of thumb that may help you make a decision about throwing in the towel or tweaking an activity:

1. Spend the first three months establishing your strategy/plan and setting up all the tactics you have decided to activate. Make sure you set in place how and what you will be measuring.
2. By 6-9 months, you should start seeing some levels of activity (again depending on the platform). You should be reviewing the statistics and discussing these with your marketing team and your providers – ask questions.
3. From 9-12 months, there will be stronger evidence with regards to achieving your outcomes, turning the dial on some, or deciding on a different course of action.

Remember, nothing is ever perfect, but knowledge and understanding will empower you to make the choices you need to. It is important that you (or a dedicated person) is engaged in this process – don’t fall into the ‘set and forget’ trap.

Q: When you do marketing yourself, how can you know that when you talk to someone to help implement it for you, they won’t lead you astray pushing their own agenda?

How can you tell when you meet someone on the first date that they are not going to take advantage of you?

Be cautious, get at least three quotes and ask lots of questions. You should never be made to feel bad about asking questions – even if you have to ask the same thing in five different ways because they haven’t explained it well enough for you to understand. It is the provider’s job to help you understand.

Your gut feeling will usually be right – trust it.

Q: Do you have an example of a client that has been a highlight to work with and how did you help them?

I love working with Southern Cross Funerals and Matthew Kwoka. I love what we are doing with his brand. I love working with an organisation where I can add value with what I do, but where they are fully engaged in the process. Being able to help facilitate awareness in the community gives me a lot of pride – that is helping to open the conversation about death and dying. You can read the case study here.

Q: What is your advice on where to start with a small budget?

1. Download the free workbook and do some research.
2. Find yourself a good copywriter that you are comfortable with and get your message right.
3. Use that copywriter to fix your words – wherever you can. Words are everywhere – on your website, in your proposals, on your flyers, on your social media.

Once your message is clear, other marketing activities will make more sense.

If you’d prefer some guided help, consider registering for my Marketing Makeover Program.