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I was speaking with a client a few weeks ago about the appropriate order for developing and implementing a marketing plan. To me this is common sense, but it was a bit of a revelation for the client. He runs a large organization and has countless areas of expertise; admittedly, he says, marketing is not one of them. So he asked me to write the steps down for him so he could reference them as we go through the process together.

1. Strategic Planning. Before you can figure out your messaging and the appropriate ways to get that messaging out to your audience, you need to determine what it is you should be focusing on: what works, what doesn’t, what’s profitable, what’s growing, who your competition is and how you are superior. These questions – and many more – are answered in a strategic planning session. Read the rest of this entry »

Every organization has what I call “screaming children” – those issues which demand attention. It is, of course, human nature, to want to tend to the child who is screaming the loudest. However, practically speaking, addressing that issue may not be the most strategic move for the organization. That issue (the screaming child) may, in effect, go away (fall asleep) if simply left alone. Or, you may discover that one child is merely screaming because another child is not playing fair, and your efforts are best directed at the other child. Read the rest of this entry »

The term “touchpoints” has been used in marketing for a long time. But the concept of it is still lost on some people. Every interface you have with your target audience – be it your web site, signage, Twitter page, business card, an advertisement, print materials, phone call, hold message, voice mail … these are all touchpoints; and they are all opportunities to present your message.

Stop for a moment and think about how many of these touchpoints you experience as you go through your day. If you live in a busy city, this could reach into the millions. But how many of those really made an impression on you? How many do you remember? How many would you act upon?
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I recently helped a client, Bridgewater Management Group, with a positioning statement.  A few hours into the positioning session, their “hook” became apparent. It’s not like it was a revolutionary new thought (after all, there is nothing new under the sun). Perhaps for me it was just a fresh perspective.

Among other offerings, Bridgewater provides information management services including records scanning and storage, process workflow improvement, etc.  When we looked at the list of their services, specifically as they relate to the healthcare industry, they had one specific characteristic in common.  These tasks were not money-makers for their clients; they were drainers.  No one dreams of going into the healthcare field so they can scan medical files and process claims.  This is a painpoint.  It is a bottleneck.  It is a distraction from their core mission.  It is a necessary evil.
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As we approach February 14th, it is inevitable that you will hear your local cynic claim that Valentine’s Day is a scam created by Hallmark. Long amazed that a corporation could accomplish this feat simply through marketing, I decided to do some digging.
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• Have a good message and stick to it.  Just because you are tired of your message doesn’t mean your audience is.  Consider how many messages you hear in a day and what it takes for one to stand out with you.  If you aren’t tired of your message, you may not be working hard enough to get it out there.

• Know your audience.  Who are they?  Where do they get their information?  How do they make decisions?  What do they do for fun?  What do they eat for breakfast?  You can’t compel an audience until you know their habits and what motivates them.

• Be strategic with your resources.  This applies to your human resources (let your team members work in the areas of their strength) and to your financial resources (spend the money as if it were yours). See rule #1, then proactively seize opportunities for free and low-cost exposure (social media marketing and PR), so you have more to spend when you need it.

Welcome to the official Girl on the Roof web site, including the From the Roof blog. My intent for this blog is to…
1) provide some marketing and strategy tips and
2) to shine light on some people and organizations who are making a difference in the lives of others.

If you have marketing-related questions, or if you have suggestions for some people/orgs to spotlight (particularly in the Knoxville and Cincinnati areas), please let me know.

I will also use the blog to make GOTR (Girl on the Roof) announcements. And, well, let’s face it, I’ll probably ramble on about this or that. In any case, you can search by topic (Strategy, Spotlight, Musings) in the menu bar on the right so you can more easily find what you’re looking for.

Thanks for visiting! Before you leave, please sign up to follow me on Twitter (I promise not to tweet the mundane details of my life). Then come back often! The view is great from the roof!