One of the keys to your marketing and branding success is getting the right mix of ingredients into your plan.
As the picture above shows, think about it like making a cake or baking muffins.
The simple and only real rule that you need to remember is that there is no preset mix that will work for everyone.
Which offers you up a challenge and an opportunity.
The challenge is that you are going to have to test, measure, and hypothesize.
The opportunity is that you get to do that and you will get the chance to be much more precise in your marketing efforts if you spend the time focused on being efficient and thoughtful.
To discover the right marketing mix for your business, you need to really answer a few simple questions:
1. What is my value proposition?
Anything about your marketing better start with your value proposition.
Because if you don’t begin with your value proposition, you can end up chasing around all over the place for opportunities and solutions that may not make any sense for you and your business.
So lead with value proposition!
2. Who are my buyers and immediate influencers?
You need to know where to direct your marketing.
Too much marketing is directed to some large, general audience that may or may not make sense to attack.
Its like dropping a drop of fresh water into the ocean and expecting that to change the composition of the ocean…ain’t going to happen.
Instead, you need to look at your value proposition and find a way to focus on the buyers and people that influence the buying decision that are going to understand and appreciate your value.
3. Where are these buyers and influencers going to find out and learn about my value?
Finally, you need to find the intersection of your value, your buyers and influencers, and where they go to learn about things.
This will help you flush out your marketing mix because many of the decisions will be made for you by the nature of your particular buyers.
Not all buyers are going to be on social media.
Not all buyers are going to read magazines.
Some will be at conferences.
Some will be listening to podcasts.
You may have the chance to get an introduction.
The list goes on and on, but it begins with those 3 questions…with only the last one having the biggest impact on your marketing mix.
The important concept is that without knowing your value and who your buyers are, your marketing mix will likely only be a guess, at best.