We all know that if you ask two people the same question, you’ll get two completely different answers. While it can be fun to get different perspectives, when you’re trying to grow your business it can be a challenge to figure out what the right answer is.
Here’s the truth: when it comes to marketing, there is no “right” answer.
Yes, the internet is filled with “experts” who claim to have the secret sauce. A lot of their advice works, but some of it doesn’t. Or at least doesn’t work for you.
Want to know why? Because no two businesses are exactly alike and so the results one company sees may be vastly different than your own results.
Does that mean there aren’t any best practices?
Not at all. There are a lot of tried and true strategies when it comes to marketing that are known to be effective.
For example, using email newsletters to stay top of mind is a standard, proven practice. But I’d be willing to bet you’ve gotten emails that are interesting to read and others that have absolutely no value to you.
Simply putting together an email isn’t enough. The success is going to come from knowing your audience and what they want from you. That’s not something that can be replicated from someone else.
Conventional wisdom isn’t always wise
I have been working in social media since 2008, and it continues to amaze me that year-after-year there are companies that put out endless quotes from Einstein and Oprah.
This is a terrible cycle that started because some company couldn’t figure out what to post on Facebook, so they popped in a quote. Another company saw it, and thought, “What a great way to fill up my page – I can do that too,” and now we have countless brand pages filled with quotes. I’ve even heard social media “gurus” recommending brands fill out their content strategies by using quotes.
This makes me cringe.
Why you might wonder; people like quotes. Sure they do. Ben Franklin had some great things to say in his time, but how does that relate to your business?
If you happen to work in childhood obesity and want to quote Michelle Obama on the subject, great. That makes sense and it relates to your brand. Making graphics out of quotes from a speech you gave or a testimonial works too. The key is ensuring the quotes you use relate to your brand and help people understand what you’re all about.
Just because other people are using quotes as filler content doesn’t mean you should.
Start with advice and then test for yourself
Find a source you like to start with. Perhaps you hire a marketing consultant, or perhaps you listen to Amy Porterfield’s podcast religiously.
Wherever you get your information, think of it as a starting point, adapt it to your brand and then test. There will be times you love what they have to say, but there will be things you agree with. First make sure they have a method to the madness, and if it makes sense (but you still don’t like it), do an A/B test to figure out what actually works.
Have more questions? Don’t be afraid to reach out.