Big Blog Post #8
There’s never been a better time than NOW to take a step back and assess the marketing health and direction of your business. The challenges that have been thrust upon us by the COVID-19 pandemic mean that pretty much every single business needs to look internally AND externally to measure and assess the services and the UVP that they’re offering to their existing and potential customers or clients.
Many years ago, when I first started Big Mouth, I developed some ‘health checks’ – for marketing and PR, for events and for sponsorship. Michelle has explored the events and sponsorship checklists in previous blog posts and in today’s blog, I wanted to discuss my Big Mouth Marketing Health Check.
It’s time to take your marketing pulse, so let’s go. Ask yourself…
Have I clearly defined what it is that I’m offering to the market?
You may currently be in the process of re-imagining what it is that you do as a business, or you may already have done so. It’s vitally important that organisations stay on top of ‘what’ they offer, the unique value proposition that sets them apart from their competitors and the absolute ‘why’ that will propel a customer to want your products or services. If you can’t clearly articulate what it is that you offer, what you stand for and why a customer should choose you, then they’re not going to be compelled to choose you!
Here’s a simple trick to help you drill down to the essence. Put a timer on for 30 seconds. Now, tell yourself (within that 30 seconds) your ‘what’ and ‘why’.
Do I truly understand the needs and challenges of my customers?
Well, do you? What can you, or do you do that makes life easier or better for your customers. Do you increase their productivity, do you save them money, do you provide thought leadership and expertise that they don’t have? What’s the problem or issue that you solve for them? If you truly understand the needs and challenges that your customers face, then it will be simple and easy for you to clearly articulate the value that you add.
Do I have a marketing strategy for distributing my product(s) or services to the market?
It doesn’t have to be 1000 pages long, but it is important that you have a marketing strategy that supports how you go to market. You may use a combination of social media, e-newsletters, brochures, case studies and even media releases. It’s really important that, having take the time to assess the ‘what’ and ‘why’, that you understand the ‘how’ and have the right marketing messages in place – across your organisation – to mesh it all together in a cohesive ‘go-to-market’ approach.
Do I know who my competitors are and how they market to their customers?
Lucky you if you don’t have any competitors – you have a licence to print money. If you do have competitors, then it’s imperative that you know who they are, what they offer, how they differ from you and how they market to their customers. You can learn a lot about your value offering by looking at the value your competitors offer. Keep an eye on your competitors – they’ll likely teach you a lot.
Am I looking for ways to extend my target market or build future markets?
If you’re not REGULARLY doing this, you’re crazy and you’re not challenging yourself. Look internally and assess your ‘bag of tricks’. What do you have that you could re-imagine or re-purpose for another market? Are there other industries that you can tailor your product or service for? Are there any ‘dream’ customers on your list? If so, why not try to make them ‘reality customers’. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. One great way to expand your market reach and stimulate your thought processes for new offerings is to take advantage of networks and the power of networking.
So there we have it – you’ve just put yourself through a health check, taken your marketing pulse and hopefully you’re now feeling inspired.