Not every piece of marketing needs to make the sale.
Some marketing gets your business noticed. Some help potential customers understand what you do and why they should trust you. And some give people who are ready to buy a clear reason to take the next step.
The problem comes when we expect every marketing activity to do all three.
A social post meant to introduce your business shouldn’t necessarily be judged by how many leads it generates. A landing page designed to convert ready buyers has a very different job than a blog written to help someone understand a problem.
Effective marketing starts with knowing what you need each activity to accomplish.
That’s why Question Four in our Five Questions Every Growing Business Should Answer series is: What must your marketing do?
Start With the Job, Not the Tactic
Before deciding to write a blog, send an email, create a social post, or run an ad, start with a simpler question:
What is the job of this marketing activity?
The answer depends in part on where your customer is in the marketing funnel.
What Is the Marketing Funnel?
The marketing funnel helps organize marketing around three broad jobs:
- Building awareness
- Developing trust
- Encouraging action
Top of Funnel: Build Awareness
At the top of the funnel, the job is to get their attention. People may be discovering your business for the first time, or they may not even know yet that they need what you offer.
Marketing at this stage can help you:
- Get in front of the right people
- Help people recognize a problem or need
- Build familiarity with your business
- Give people a reason to learn more
The goal isn’t necessarily to make the sale. It’s to get on the right person’s radar.
Middle of Funnel: Develop Trust
Once someone is aware of your business, they may need more information as they research possible solutions.
The job here is to help them understand.
Your marketing can help potential customers learn about their options, answer questions, address concerns, and see why your business may be a good fit.
Blogs, emails, case studies, FAQs, testimonials, and other educational content can all play a role here.
Bottom of Funnel: Encourage Action
At the bottom of the funnel, you’re speaking to people who are closer to making a decision.
Now the job shifts toward helping them take the next step.
That might mean requesting a quote, scheduling a consultation, making a purchase, or calling your business.
At this stage, your marketing should make the next step clear and easy to take.
One Activity Can’t Do Every Job
When every marketing activity is expected to create awareness, educate customers, build trust, overcome objections, and generate a sale, the message can quickly become unfocused.
Instead, give each activity a primary purpose.
Before deciding what your marketing should say, finish this sentence:
The job of this marketing activity is to…
- Get the right people to notice us.
- Answer a question potential customers frequently ask.
- Show why customers trust us.
- Encourage someone who’s ready to schedule a consultation.
Once the job is clear, it becomes much easier to shape the message, choose the right CTA, and even decide which marketing tactic to use.
Give Your Marketing a Job to Do
Marketing becomes more effective when every activity has a clearly defined purpose.
You don’t need every blog, email, social post, ad, or webpage to make the sale. You need each one to do its job well and support the larger strategy.
Once you know what each activity needs to accomplish, you’re ready for the final question in the Strategy Engine: What message will connect?