The Found Gen

Marketing That Works.

Strategy

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What Everyone Gets Wrong About Marketing, Part One.

The truth is there are a good number of things that people get wrong about marketing – including marketers. We know, we may have just blown your mind.

For one, it’s not sales. It’s also not simple.

But one of the big things is that marketing is not stagnant. It’s constantly evolving and growing and changing. And then, what works for one – doesn’t work for everyone. Oof, we could seriously wax poetic on this topic – which is why we decided to break it into a series.

Marketing For You Versus Your Audience

One of the biggest and most common mistakes in marketing is when a business makes their marketing about themselves.

It’s never about you. It’s about your customer. Get that, and you’re already at the head of the class.

Your marketing copy should speak to the problem you help them solve – when they have the problem, they’re going to give you a call.

Your customers already know what they want, it’s your job to give it to them. You will always be disappointed in a marketing strategy that takes the reverse approach and tries to tell the customer what you think they should want. That’s not the way to gain or retain good clients or customers.  

Thinking that Marketing Works Quickly

Another thing people commonly get wrong is they look at immediate results to define the success of a marketing campaign or strategy. Good marketing looks months and years ahead – not at tomorrow or next week. Why, you ask? Put simply: good marketing compounds in value over time – if you can focus on the long term, you can build a stronger campaign than if you’re focused on driving sales this week.

Not Attributing Results Correctly

The truth of the matter is no one can attribute accurately. You can set up specific phone numbers per campaign (flyers, billboards, website, Google Ads etc) to see where people are calling you from. But what if they saw your flyer in the mail and then checked out your website. Your website would get credit even though the first they interacted with you was the flyer.

It’s why we always focus on your overall cost-per-lead and cost-per-client. Once you have a baseline there, you see if new actions take that cost down (just make sure to give the campaign enough time to work).

We can help you tailor a marketing strategy to the kind of content your customers respond to most. For some of you that will be lots of content – blogs, newsletters, and emails on trending topics related to your business. For others more image rich platforms and posts will get the most attention from your target audience. Every customer base is different. Through engagement with them across multiple platforms we can help you determine what your customers want to see from you.

Let’s talk about how we can help you make the most of your marketing budget!

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5 Fads in Marketing to Avoid This Year

Trends can be enticing. From rice pudding shops to shiplap – sometimes hopping on the latest bandwagon is worth the hype. Then…there’s things like the mom jeans craze that’s “so hot right now,” which we know we’ll regret when reviewing photos next year. 

For those of us who are old enough (Hi, Millenials!), we know a thing or two about a certain Von-Dutch-hat-with-Ugg-Boots situation that may now feel like a big (huge!) mistake. 

Our point is – trends are fun. Until they aren’t. And some not-so-great fads, especially in marketing, are not worth your time, energy or money. 

But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with some trend-wise advice on how to keep your business on the savvier side of marketing trends. 

5 Marketing Trends To Avoid: 

  • Getting on the Latest Social Craze: One of our hard rules is to give every new marketing tool, social platform, or other gimmick a real consideration as to the WHY behind your interest in getting on board the so-called train. If the rationale is, “everyone else is doing it,” then you pretty much have your answer (we’re looking at you, TikTok). Often times, your audience may not even be on the platform that has the latest craze.
  • Copying What Everyone Else is Doing: Continuing our point above, if everyone else is doing it, it’s probably too late to get on the bandwagon. Marketing is never about doing what everyone else is doing. So, innovate – and if you need help brainstorming, we’re here.
  • DIY Websites: While all the rage, building your own Wix or Square Space site does not always end well. Most of these DIY website platforms have strong limitations and you’ll end up having to redo your site within 1-2 years anyway. Getting a website professionally made will save you time and money down the line.
  • Over Promoting: Contests and promotions are fun and engaging – within reason. While giveaways and discount codes can be instantly-gratifying, doing so in excess can hurt your brand in the long run. Don’t make each month a different event – people get tired quickly and don’t see the overall value if you’re constantly discounting or giving away free items.
  • SEO Ninjas: The race to the top of Google is no longer dominated by keyword ninjas. Save yourself some money and energy by skipping the ninja route to the top of Google and ask yourself what your goals really are. If it’s more business – then create a strategy to drive higher traffic from valuable, qualified leads. Say goodbye to poor turnover and hello to better business. 

And if you still want to rock mom jeans, we won’t judge. 

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How to Leverage Storytelling to Drive Your Marketing Strategy

We’re sure you’ve heard it before, “storytelling drives business,” or things like “I’m a storyteller,” from your local hairstylist or toymaker. The truth? 

They are. You are. Everyone is. So long as they are telling stories. 

Your brand should be sharing tales. Why? Because ever since time immemorial stories have been what truly connects us together. They are, in essence, the tie that binds. 

When you share a story, people listen. They search for how it resonates with their own experiences. That’s why storytelling is a powerful marketing tool.

Having a compelling story humanizes your brand and fosters customer connection and engagement. Any content you put out into the world should provide value to your readers instead of feeling like a grimy sales ploy.

As you start to think about how to turn your brand into a content marketing storyteller for the ages, be sure to keep in mind these little tips:

Promote a Lifestyle, not Just a Product

You can promote your brand all day long, but until you show how your brand lives in the actual world, not just on a shelf or in a box, people will remain uninvested. When it comes to branding a lifestyle, you want to focus on finding out what kind of person your customer wants to be and then giving them the tools (your product) to do so.

Focus on the Human Element

Using facts and figures in your content marketing strategy can sometimes be helpful, but people are drawn to stories, vibes, and emotional connection. The more personal you can make your business seem, the better. Instead of reporting information, focus on personal accounts and narratives that can provide readers with more value.

Getting people to like and trust you turns window-shoppers into loyal customers to your brand. 

Get Help Telling Your Story

It is sometimes difficult for business owners to see their companies from an outsider’s perspective – marketing experts can help you understand the kind of stories your customers want to connect with and how to implement them into your marketing strategy.

At The Found Gen, we pride ourselves in the fact that our content marketing strategies are focused on your readers, your customers, your fans, and well – your soon-to-be-best friends. We create engaging content that not only tells your story – but weaves it into theirs. 

Sounds tough? For us, it’s fun. 

If you’re ready – we’re ready. Get in touch to learn more about how we can build a strong brand storytelling strategy for your business. 

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Building a First Principles Marketing Strategy

When building a marketing strategy, most entrepreneurs just look at their revenue from the last year and dedicate a percentage of that to go into the marketing budget. Too often, it’s just sprayed over multiple channels to see what sticks. The better option is to build a first principles marketing strategy. 

What is a First Principles Marketing Strategy?

For the uninitiated, first principles thinking is simply a way to approach complicated problems. Specifically, you break them down into basic elements and then reassemble them from the ground up. 

With that being said, a first principles marketing strategy would set aside the Facebook versus Google ads debate and first answer, ‘What is the goal of marketing?’

If you ask us, the goal should be to generate leads that have a high chance of turning into clients or customers. This (naturally) begs the question – who has a high chance of becoming a client of yours?

The answer depends on the problem you help people solve.

The Truth Behind Your Brand

Whether you’re selling legal services or coffeemakers, you are helping people solve a problem. 

  • Divorce attorneys help people move on to the next chapter of their life. 
  • Coffeemaker manufacturers help people get their day started on the right foot. 

Before you can determine how to find people that have a high chance of becoming a client, you have to define what problem they need help solving. 

This is the defining factor that should be at the core of your marketing strategy. Defining the problem answers why people come to you in the first place. 

The reasons vary significantly, but a few examples:

For B2B businesses:

You help them save time 

You help them increase their revenue 

You help them reduce risk

Oftentimes, you can market your business to show how it does all three – whether you’re selling IT, bookkeeping, marketing services, sales consulting, legal advice, et cetera – you should be helping them save time, increase their revenue and reduce their risk. 

For B2C businesses: 

You solve an emergency (plumbers, roofers)

You make them happy (luxury brands)

You provide an experience (restaurants, hotels)

Once you single out all the problems you help your prospects with, the next step is to figure out their mindset when they are ready to buy. 

Getting Discovered at the Right Time

If someone has a plumbing emergency, they’re going to Google ‘plumber near me’ and call each one until they find one that can come fix it. If they call you and you do a good job, they’ll remember and call you next time right away (and tell their friends and family about you). Being discoverable when they need you is key. 

Similarly, if you are something a little more esoteric (say a sex therapist or a divorce attorney), people are more likely to be researching their problems for a while before they call. Having a more robust website with an extensive blog that answers the questions your clients ask you when they’re Googling to find answers to their problems in the middle of the night is likely a better approach than plastering social media with ads (where their spouse could see them interacting with a divorce attorney). 

Once you determine the problem you help prospects with and why they want you to help them, your marketing strategy will be built on a powerful foundation. 

Want to hash it out? Drop us a line. 

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Pitch Perfect: How to Throw Content Marketing Home Runs

Right this very minute, a potential client is waiting for you to present them with your plan. Your pitch will be a home run (mixed metaphor most certainly intended). You’ve got this.

Regardless of how far along in the sales process your prospect is, good content marketing can make a difference.

Generating Awareness with good Content Marketing

The first step to hook a prospect comes with generating awareness of you. Creating good content about the problem your clients have is the first step — they’re already searching the internet for answers, we just need to create content that shows how you are providing them with the ideal solution.

Getting Your Prospect to Consider You With Good Content Marketing

Once you have them paying attention to you, the next step is, well, getting them to take the next step. Good Content Marketing is just as key a part of your pitch to a prospect as generating awareness.

  1. Tell the story. All humans operate 99% subconsciously and 1% consciously, so be sure to deliver an irresistible narrative. Pro Tip: If you find yourself answering what rather than why and how well, you’re telling the story wrong.
  2. Encourage disruption. Challenge conventional wisdom. It’s hard for your client to change course, but you both know it’s for the brand’s best. Xavier Niel, the French Bill Gates, said it well: “Start small and disrupt to create something big.”
  3. Don’t oversell. You’re going to want to communicate everything you know. Avoid this urge, as well as the one that pushes you to brag and make outrageous claims. Think big, but stay humble.
  4. Five ideas are better than one. Think of it like this: You and your partner have one child. Chances are, you’re both intensely invested in his or her perfection. Faults? Zero. This child is the best one ever invented. But imagine having five kids. The stress for perfection is dispersed, right? It’s easier to see their flaws and deal with them as they appear. Same goes for your pitch.
  5. Solve a problem, and focus on the future. Yes, we’re encouraging you to accomplish both simultaneously. It’s now and later, today and someday. Your pitch should resemble Jack’s magic bean; it could be food today, but it’s going to take your client to the skies tomorrow.
  6. Get rejected. They might say no, and that’s understandable. This is their company, after all, and they’ve invested a lot of hopes, dreams, and money into it. Perhaps they’re not ready to edit their brand’s story, or perhaps you just need to edit your proposal.

You’ve put a lot of work into this pitch. Good job. Now, all you have to do is sit back and wait for the client to recognize your pure genius, right? Wrong. The pitch begins and continues with your relationship-construct. Create a strong one.

Above all other techniques, building a relationship with your potential client remains paramount. Trust and commitment, both in branding and real life, win on the daily over pretty much anything else.

If you’d like some help adding good content marketing to your pitches, give us a call. Ask for Giancarlo Stanton. (That’s a home run joke, guys. Because we only hit ‘em out of the park over here.)

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Are You Hearing What Your Client is Telling You?

It’s so much easier to tell your client what you’re thinking than listen to their thoughts. After all, you’re the expert, right?

Maybe. But probably not.

No matter your level of knowledge, it’s crucial to become a master listener – especially during client meetings. And don’t forget about client phone calls, strategy meetings, and idea generating sessions. Basically, if your client is speaking, or you’re speaking on behalf of your client, it’s time to listen up.

  • Have conversations. Real ones that make room for back-and-forth exchanges of ideas and reactions, savoring all the information gleaned. This is the good stuff.
  • Absorb what your client is telling you. Don’t interrupt. When they’ve finished making their points, ask more questions. They know their business better than anyone, but they need you to tell their story so everyone else can know their business better than any competitor’s. Impatience, especially when simultaneously considering billable hours, is a real information-blocker.
  • Ask questions. Better yet, ask questions that begin with “If I’m hearing you correctly, you’re telling me…”
  • Don’t tell them you’re listening – show them. Do the work and employ the ideas you both took the time to discuss.
  • Feedback is your friend. Even negative feedback is instructional, guiding, and vital for growth, so make sure to listen even more intently when it appears. (Because it will appear.) And remember: In any client relationship, it takes twelve positive experiences to make up for one unresolved negative experience – the key word being unresolved.
  • Stay far ahead of your client in social listening. Pay attention to conversations that aren’t even about your client, and extract insights about brand new influences and leads. The quieter you become, the more you can hear.
  • It’s not about you. But it is totally about what you and your client can create together.

Did you know that an overwhelming majority of clients leave because of a perceived attitude of indifference? So communicate clearly, be responsive, and listen hard. You may have heard what they’re telling you a thousand times before, but it’s fresh to them.

It’s been said that listening is being able to be changed by the other person, and we agree. At The Found Gen, our clients’ stories constantly reconfigure how we view the world. We love traveling alongside them.

If you ever need someone to listen to your brand’s story, we’re all ears.