While almost every marketer would vehemently agree that messaging (their story) is a vital component to success, the simple fact is … most do not have a disciplined approach to messaging development and management.
“Only 3% of B2B sales and marketing professionals say their company uses a repeatable process when creating messaging across the enterprise.”
— Survey of 730 B2B sales and marketing professionals
Truth be told, technology and channel complexity has clouded the minds of many marketing executives – not so much that they don’t realize the importance of messaging – rather, that their time, effort, dollars and resources have been all-consumed with technology and digital channels over the last 3-5 years.
As a result, many marketers have lost control of their story. They no longer have the disciplined processes in place to ensure a clear, compelling message is delivered consistently — both online and offline – throughout the customer experience.
This is where marketing executives have gotten upside down. The emphasis and priority being placed on technology and channels has severely weakened the foundation of marketing success … clarity and consistency in the story that is being shared.
Because, let’s be honest, your business lives and dies by its message. It doesn’t matter if that message is delivered via a Tweet, your website, mobile ad, Facebook post or paid search advertising. What does matter is that it is well crafted, consistent and optimized for the channel through which it is shared. The well-respected David Ogilvy said it best:
“What really decides what customers buy or not buy is the content of your advertising, not its form.”
Sure, technology will always be essential for any modern marketer, but that doesn’t change the fact that delivering a more focused, relevant message will always be the key to ensuring those technology investments pay off.
