The world of marketing is a fast-paced roller coaster of innovation and careful listening to meet the demands of an evolving consumer market. It’s an industry full of excitement and change, and that brings its own kinds of stresses. There are six real and terrifying marketing incidents that often rear their ugly heads around the fourth quarter. Grab your nightlight and let’s talk strategy and solutions.
Frightful Search Positions
Every company needs a strong web and social media presence these days, but all small businesses should know that a low SEO ranking can cut a growing company off at the knees. Even smaller companies with more niche markets need to face the huge challenge of developing an effective SEO strategy.
For companies looking to be seen and heard, being on the second page of a Google search can be a marketer’s nightmare and one that has real repercussions on the bottom line. Boost your SEO ranking by doing these things consistently:
1. Identify keywords and phrases that are relevant to your company.
2. Set up and regularly monitor your SEO ranking and website performance using a service like Google Analytics.
3. Create content that speaks to your customers -- and create lots of it.
4. Share content via your owned marketing channels and partner with media and influencers to have them share and link back to your site.
5. Use forums to share your content, create conversations and drive traffic to your site.
Horrifying Product Development Cycles
It goes without saying that products and services will make or break your company. Drastic delays in product cycles will leave your sales team selling nothing more than hopes and dreams. That said, it doesn't all rest on the shoulders of the engineers --marketing and sales should also be involved in the product development conversation. Not only will this help meet customers’ needs, but marketers can also better understand the cycle of the product and psyche of the engineers as they’re sprinting to deliver the finished product on time. Simultaneously, marketers should have a contingency plan in case launch dates get pushed back. If content for a new online ad depends on the release of a new product, plan to have backup content prepared should the product launch be delayed.
Dreadful Demotivators
One of the hardest things for any executive is keeping the team motivated and happy when sales are flat or during a period of downsizing. This has been something I’ve encountered in the past and transparency was the key. Telling it like it is shows your teams that you value and respect them, especially when the going gets tough. In turn, honesty will help everyone weather the rough patches.
The Fear Of Fierce Competition
President Herbert Hoover is known to have said, “Competition is not only the basis of protection to the consumer, but is the incentive to progress.” Whether you’re the industry leader in your field or a challenger brand taking on the reigning champ, competition keeps the market thriving and healthy. Executives who focus on disrupting and advancing the market for the benefit of the customer will ultimately take the largest slice of the pie.
Nightmarish Performance Reviews
The annual performance review has become all but archaic for some companies, like Gap and Adobe, that instead enforce less structured and more frequent check-ins. If your organization still adheres to traditional performance reviews, it’s important to make it a win-win situation for both the employee receiving the feedback and the manager who is giving it. Periodic check-ins are a great way to ensure your team members are progressing toward those annually set goals. These less formal check-ins can deepen a manager’s understanding of their direct reports’ passions at work (as well as grievances), allowing them to address issues before they get out of hand. As they say, feedback is a gift.
Terror Of Unplugging
Prior to the mobile age, the workday ended once we locked up our filing cabinets, departed our desks and left the office. But when work email and “productivity” apps are conveniently installed on mobile phones, it’s often difficult to disconnect. What’s more, if you’re a remote employee who works from home, it’s often difficult to really separate that work-life balance.
For marketers especially, it’s difficult to shut down when there seem to be no designated business hours. Creating that boundary for yourself will not only allow you to be more productive in the time allotted, but it will also help fend off burn out. If you work remotely, have a designated workspace -- and make sure your work is only done there. Having to check your phone is inevitable, but make it a point to shut off after a certain hour and prioritize what can be done the next day. Despite how hectic work can be, it’s important to set aside "you time" each day.
Don’t let fear grip you. Taking hold of the things that terrorize us allows us to overcome those fears and make sound decisions for our teams, businesses and ourselves.
