It’s time to start marketing your business online. Go!
Ads. Blog posts. Influencers. Social media. Content. Branding. SEO. Press releases. You know I could go on …
If you’re anything like me, you’re probably thinking, but there’s so much to do and so much already out there! Will anyone even hear you and your brand amongst all this rushing noise?
It’s time to get in on the secret: intention is what changes everything. Focus is the difference maker.
Attending this year’s Change In The Making Conference in Squamish forced me to stop and think about this. Jon Malach from Native Ads stressed that your intention needs to be set before you start anything. Sure, I know what people tell you: if there’s even a fluttering pulse on a given platform, you need to get on it. Digital is the future; make sure you’re there – everywhere!
Let’s slow down for a second and recognize that focus and purpose is important. You can be heard and can make an impact when you hone and direct your efforts, not when you throw them all over. If you have unlimited time on your hands, well, I guess this blurb isn’t for you.
Most us don’t have the time to do everything we could possibly do on the internet to promote our brand, let alone the time to do it all well.
Malach’s discussion at CIMC surfaced this profound fact: “a magnifying glass can start a fire – that’s the power of focus.” You can get a burn from just being in the sun, but you can get an actual fire when you enter with intention.
So, take your goals and your direction seriously. It’s easier and in your best interest.
We’re living in a unique time where people are starting to trust ads more than the press itself. People often say that ads are honest but the media isn’t. Think about that. Realize the acceptance and respect that people have for ads’ transparency, and use it to your benefit. Ads are identifiable, and so should be your message.
Miles Sellyn from Drive Digital pointed out that as marketers, we should not try to build interaction just for interaction’s sake. There is no point taking on a digital marketing endeavor just to say you’ve “done it.” I’ll take this a step further and personalize it to the topic of ads. Quite simply, there is no purpose in building ads just for the sake of having ads.
Of course, we want to impress our audience and make a statement, but everything we do ultimately needs to be functional towards our goals. Keep things simple and directed – it’ll help both you and your viewers. I loved the way Matthew Luhn from Pixar said it, “Don’t be clever, be vulnerable and honest.”
The way I see it, ads are an opportunity to guide, lead, help and change people for the better; don’t confuse, annoy or distract people needlessly or aimlessly. Choose your placements, choose the medium, the creative and the copy wisely – if there’s no clear, focused intention and end goal there, there’s just no point.
(Photos from: @JustJash)
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