FoM: Get It Done!

Have you ever missed a marketing deadline, because you had to get it just right?

Wait, is that carmine or maroon?
Our customers hate maroon.

You know what I mean... you spend hours pouring over copy, trying to get the phrasing just right, trying to find that perfect adjective or adverb, picking that right image, and finding the right color palette.  You look at it from every angle, making sure that every part of it is just so.

And you end up with a marketing emergency as you miss every production deadline. It's possible that this obsession with the minutia makes it too late to execute at all, wasting your time and money.

True story:

It's late March. We were getting ready to go to press with a postcard invitation to a gift giveaway taking place in early April.  Just as it was going on the press, I get an emergency call from the event manager asking if it was too late to change the piece.

Was there a problem with the gift?  A date change?  Legal problems?  Venue change?

No... you see, they'd been talking and they thought the piece was "too Christmas-y".

(We went to press as it was, and the event was as successful as projected.  And to the person who made that phone call - love ya!)

Hey, what's the word for "cool"
in Elvish?

Why does this happen?  Procrastination?  Indecision? Perfectionism run amok?  Yes, all of those, but I think this really happens because of fear.

Fear of saying the wrong thing the wrong way, in such as way to invite ridicule or blame, and ultimately, fear of wasting your time and money. Fear of appeasing a co-worker or boss.

It's the classic perfectionist's problem:  do it right, or not at all.

Well, here's the thing:  you just have to do it.  You have to do marketing.  You have to let your customers know when your next sale is, or how great that new product or service is, or how to reach you so you can serve them!  You do not have the option to skip it.

So, how do you get over your fear and just get it done?  Remember this:  It is highly unlikely any customer or potential of yours will scrutinize your marketing collateral like you do.

They will not notice if the color is slightly different than usual.  Their behavior will not change if you use the word "stunning" instead of "amazing".

You will obsess over it like a literature student's examination of "The Lord of the Flies" and speculate on the depths of meaning of every word ("What does the author's use of the color red here mean? Y'know the part where the stabbing is happening?"), every image, and every square inch.

On the other hand, your customer just wants to know what's going on, what's in it for them, and what they need to do to get it.

Yes, brand identity and style are important, of course.  But they aren't the ONLY item of importance, and when time is short, you have to go with the clarity of communication.

Don't let your fear keep you from getting out there and promoting your business.

Need help getting past the perfectionism?  Let me know - I can help!

FoM: Slay the Social Media Monster

There's dozens of examples out there about the ways brands (and individuals and celebrities) have had major screwups in social media.  Feel free to search for them if you're so inclined.

Bring it, Twitter.

Such tales might have put the Fear of Marketing in you - in this case, you're avoiding the Social Media Monsters.

You may be aware that there are "best practice"  (i.e. rules) for every channel.  And generally, this is true, developed over time and experience as these channels have been used, even though there's some debate on these.

Don't let these rules intimidate you or stop you from getting out there.

To paraphrase what I said in my FOM introductory post (right here) - making a social media post or a tweet or whatever is not like getting a tattoo.  It's here, and it's gone, just like that (and you can delete what you dislike if you really want to in the future).  It's so very temporary, it really is hard to screw it up permanently.

However, to avoid potential problems, this is the what you need to do:

• Negativity or sarcasm can easily go wrong, so I advise newbies to avoid it.
• Make sure you read it several times (watch for typos and grammatical errors).
• Get out there and try.  Just broadcasting things like sales or blog posts is fine to start.  You will get more confidence as you practice.
• If you post something you don't like, delete it!  It'll be gone, just like that!

You don't have to be a channel expert in, say, Twitter, to start tweeting for your business.  Just get moving.

Got a Marketing Monster you want to slay?  I can help!  Drop me a note in the comments or email me at AbanicoMktg@gmail.com

The Fear of Marketing (FoM) - a series

If you're reading this blog (and thank you very much), you'll see me make "DOTC" posts - Doing it On The Cheap.  These posts are about the cheapest tactics I can find and have either tried myself or have found others doing effectively.

Oh, hi!  I'd like to talk to you about
my product and/or service!

Today, I'm going to start up a new series on this blog, based upon a speech topic I've been developing.

It's called the Fear of Marketing (FoM).  This comes from my experience in working with my clients, in my corporate marketing jobs, and observing small businesses around me.

I think that lots of us are just terrified of marketing!

Lots of us are are confused and overwhelmed by channel choices and best practice, or really afraid of making a huge mistake that will ruin our businesses, or, somebody will find what we're doing offensive or hurtful.

FoM posts will be about this - how to get over being afraid.

Because, my friends, you can't run or grow your business with no marketing.  Let me say that again.

YOU CANNOT RUN OR GROW YOUR BUSINESS WITHOUT MARKETING.

Yet, time and again, we avoid doing great marketing (or any marketing at all) because we're afraid.

Keep this one thing in mind, as you see FoM posts:

Doing marketing is not like getting a tattoo.  Most of our marketing is temporary and fleeting, to be published and forgotten as we come up with the latest and greatest.  It is the exceedingly rare campaign of any kind (great or awful) that is remembered past its execution period.

So don't let fear stop you from doing something potentially great!

Can't wait to explore this topic more!  Do you have any True Tales of Frightful Marketing? Have you ever let your fear stop you from growing your business?  Let me know!