- What does it take to be an effective healthcare marketer?
- What does it take to be an effective B2B marketer?
- What does it take to be an effective retail marketers?
Regardless of the audience asking, or the way the question is posed, my #1 recommendation is always a two-part recommendation and it’s one that I convey to clients and students communicating in both internal and external settings.
What does it take? It takes a very clear understanding of both your objectives (what will success “look like” and how will you know you have achieved it) and your target audience (who, specifically, are you attempting tor reach/influence).
Without either of these you are destined to fail. With them clearly in mind you can not only better focus your efforts to ensure that you are spending limited resources (time and money) wisely, but that, through your understanding of your target audience, you are better able to select both the communication vehicles (e.g. social media, traditional advertising, etc.) and to create compelling key messages to move them toward some action.
These are the foundational elements of success in any marketing initiative.
Surprisingly, though, I find that all too often, even very experienced marketers, fail to spend sufficient time really clarifying their goals specifically enough to help drive resource allocation decisions. They fail to narrowly define their audiences enough to help them carefully connect and compel those audiences through the right communication channels with the right key messages.
Consider your current marketing efforts. Do you know exactly the outcomes you are looking for and exactly who you are attempting to reach? If the answer is “no,” you have some work to do.
