What pushes people to skip the understanding aspect of the equation?
Is it simply a lack of self-awareness, or is that we’re afraid of asking the right questions?
We focus so much energy on the platforms, on the channels, on the tools that we can leverage into broader reach and impact, that we lose track of the intangibles that are far more difficult to measure in finite terms.
And while we know the challenges of trying to create leverage out of a can, we still tap into existing formulas to duct tape disparate pieces together from successful models, hoping to blanket potential customers with just the right mix of hype, timing, and saturation.
But how do we react if they tune us out? Does “my customers are already engaging there” offer opportunity or just more distraction from what your business really needs to succeed?
I’ve said it probably a million times over the years that I’ve worked in marketing and on the Web, and I’ll say it emphatically a million more:
If you don’t give someone a reason to care, if you don’t peel back the curtains and show a little human, and if you refuse to dig under the hood with an insatiable curiosity for finding value in what you do, then even the most integrated, strategic marketing plan on the planet will only get you so far.
It’s the step that most of us skip, a process of self-discovery and reflection that demands we ask when others would rather assume.
To be a brand that compels people to invest their time, their pocketbooks, their hearts and minds – you’ll need more than just eyeballs and engagement.
You’ll need the guts to explore, to push, to inquire, and to stay light on your feet while the competition stays mired in the weeds.