Can we just…? Yes, we can – but a bit of forethought and planning helps. As I’m sure you know, Marketing is a process, not an event. Unfortunately, all too often in the SME world, marketing ends up being a series of disconnected projects, campaigns or events. Over my 30+ years marketing with owner-managed businesses, there are 3 words that I hear time and time again. 3 words that, if you think about it, reflect an underlying issue in many companies’ approach to marketing. The 3 words are:
Can we just….
I blame the internet!
The growth of the internet has been a gamechanger in SME marketing with new ideas, apps, opportunities and services being launched all the time but herein lies a problem. Most of these services are initially supplied and driven from a technical standpoint and promoted as ‘a great new idea’. Consequently, there is a risk that a business will focus on ‘what a great idea’ and start using something without considering how well the new approach will fit in to deliver integrated marketing value to the business. Whether we are talking about a new communication tool, social media platform or a new approach to developing and up to date website, the same issue can arise. The work starts on the wave of enthusiasm about the innovative newness of the approach. However, the brief the work is done to can be a bit superficial. As a result, all too often, the results can fall short of the (admittedly not carefully thought through) expectations. This isn’t to say the results are necessarily bad, just not quite as forecast. The next step is to start to look towards what the business actually needs at which point the limited up-front planning gets exposed as a disconnect between what is best for the business to achieve your goals, and what you are actually doing. You realise that you need to make some changes and so, rather than immediately halting the work and rethinking, the immortal words get uttered…Can we just...
More cost and delay
Almost inevitably, Can we just… will lead to additional and unexpected cost as well as potential delay. Both of these can add to the dissatisfaction of how things are going. In turn, this can result in a decision to commit increased resources to the project from where the expectations rise further, often compounding the problem. Alternatively, you end up deciding to cut your losses and pull the plug – which means you are back where you started! Neither is great.
An alternative – a joined-up approach
By recognising that marketing is a process, not an event, it is easier to put your marketing activities into a joined-up context. This also creates an opportunity to consider your business goals and plan activities around these. Part of the planning process is to acknowledge there will be a need to review and refine as things proceed and you learn more. A joined-up approach may require a bit more up-front thought but this normally pays real dividends in the impact your efforts have on taking your business where you want it to go.
‘Can we just’ can be a good thing
Even better, in the context of a planned, joined-up approach, ‘Can we just’ can be a good thing. Because a joined-up approach allows planning time, new ideas can be introduced, not as a knee-jerk reaction to a problem, but as an opportunity to innovate. Next time you are working on your business rather than in it, give yourself time to plan and consider options. The luxury of time gives the chance to reflect and you might just think…Mmm, can we just… To see some examples of how BSA works with clients using Can we just..to deliver real benefit, click here
