There was a time when a business leader or entrepreneur could have his weekly or even monthly marketing meeting, make good decisions about advertising, and then turn his attention to something else until the next month’s meeting.
Those were the “olden days.”
Marketing today is a daily venture. It’s more of a mindset than a task. You can’t just pop in and out of marketing mode. The old way of “set it and forget it” until the next marketing review meeting is long gone. Marketing weaves its way into everyday business life, even if we don’t recognize it. But good marketers do. We use everything possible to engage, influence, and inspire our prospects. Like one of my old mentors Mike Quinlan of McDonald’s (he didn’t know he mentored me, but I did!) used to say: “Marketing isn’t everything, but everything is marketing.” He got that right.
We “market” our brand with Twitter, Facebook and other social media almost daily. We change our message on digital ads and outdoor billboards regularly, sometimes daily. We send proposals to clients, present estimates, and even send emails every day. Got a meeting with a client or vendor today? All these are what I call “brand touchpoints” that can influence what people think or feel when they see or hear your name. (See “Brand Quiz”).
Everything we do in business is connected to our brand. That’s because our company culture is the basis for our brand appeal. What we do internally—even when no one else is looking—eventually makes its way to the outside. If we stink as a company, we will stink in our marketing, because no matter what kind of spin we put on it, it still stinks. (See Company Culture: The Key to Great Advertising)
Marketing in today’s world is a mindset, and it’s one that requires a full-time focus that’s hard to maintain if you don’t have a strategy for approaching it. What are your brand touchpoints? What do they say to your prospects? Are you using them to build your brand? Let us know if you would like a free touchpoint review. We can help you build revenue by creating brand touchpoints that engage, influence, and inspire your prospects.
