We recently performed a marketing gap analysis for a client. The goal was to understand why their digital growth was declining. We found two issues that impact many clients we’ve worked with, both large and small.
#1: The decline in performance is rooted in a need for a clear brand strategy and a deep understanding of the company’s audience.
#2: C-Suite stakeholders still believe acquiring digital real estate through multiple websites and social accounts increases visibility. The opposite is true. A considerable quantity of sites and accounts only spreads resources and cannibalization of growth opportunities.
Slowing down and looking within is not easy, but it’s often the only way to steer the ship out of the storm. Below are steps you can take to reshape your underperforming marketing program.
Refocus the Strategy
A strategic plan is the backbone of any successful marketing program. Without a holistic North Star, teams attempting to build and execute plans are flying blind with no direction. Acquiring inputs to inform the priorities, positioning, and people to back your strategy should be the first step in reshaping your marketing program.
Unpack What Matters Most to Set a Solid Foundation
Brand Stakeholder Workshops
Leverage the collective knowledge of brand stakeholders to help define long-term outcomes and fundamental principles that guide decision-making, including values, purpose, and positioning.
Work with stakeholders to define priorities that align with outcomes. This will help ensure everyone works towards the same measurable results, preventing wasted resources and efforts on less important initiatives.
Audience Research
A deep understanding of the people that align with each brand’s priorities will facilitate meaningful connections. Leverage qualitative and quantitative research to unpack demographics, psychographics, and digital behaviors.
Restructure Your Teams
The role of marketers is quickly changing in the age of AI and other catalyst market forces. The people, processes, and technologies put in place years ago to streamline marketing efficiencies and drive outcomes require a shift to remain competitive today.
Design for the Future
Centralize Siloed Teams
Consolidate to control planning, processes, and outcomes. A centralized team sets the stage for consistency across all marketing initiatives. Document all roles and responsibilities.
Standardize Marops & Adops
Assess and document all existing processes, tools, and allocated budgets to uncover opportunities to streamline, optimize, and standardize.
Evolve Data-Driven Capabilities
Create a data governance and measurement plan across all martech to foster a culture built around integrated and actionable data, smart execution, and continual iteration.
Rebuild Compelling Stories
Shift marketing focus from a channel-first to an audience-first approach. Customer-centric storytelling is a powerful tool for building long-lasting emotional connections, establishing trust, differentiating your brand, and driving engagement.
Let Your Audience Lead the Way
Build a Messaging Plan
Based on the strategic plan, build a comprehensive messaging matrix and content calendar to inform why, how, and when the team should communicate priority initiatives to key audiences.
Craft and Repurpose Compelling Content
The future of content is multimodal. Leverage your teams to retell and reshare stories across mediums your audiences prefer. Use data to better understand topics and formats that resonate most.
Enlist Others to Grow Authority
Research, list, and outreach to credible and relevant outside sources that will elevate social proof. This powerful psychological trigger influences consumer behavior and can significantly impact your brand’s reputation, visibility, and growth potential.
Summary
At the end of the day, internal stakeholders must be brave enough to refocus their teams on what matters most to succeed.
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