How to Be a Better Marketer: ONE Thing That Changes Everything

Even though marketers are consumers themselves, they’ve forgotten how to think like a consumer. They live inside the data and the trends in consumer behavior and end up unable to recognize their own motivations for doing what they do. Sure data is important, but to learn how to be a better marketer you have to get your head out of the calculations and into the conversations.

Some companies that say they provide “Marketing” are actually doing something else. The foundation of their business was formed around gadgets, tools and software. They put tools and tactics before strategy. They don’t advocate diving into the components of their clients’ business to help them understand the customer better. These companies prefer to “sell to the masses” and that’s fine…for them.

Everyone wants a quick fix to gain more customers but as a business owner, you should know that these gadgets, tools and software only go so far.

“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” – Sun Tzu

Marketing that sticks and drives revenue is something else altogether.

This shift from propaganda about the business’ products and services to conversations with customers and prospects is very challenging.

“Experience Marketing” is a trend for 2015. CX (customer experience) and UX (user experience) – you may have heard these acronyms around the web and wondered what they meant. They’re both considered the sum of all experiences your customer has with you over the lifetime of the relationship.

Customer experience involves a person’s behaviors, attitudes and emotions about using your product or service. If you want to learn how to be a better marketer,  you must dive deeper into your ideal customers’ opinions and behaviors and apply your discoveries to your marketing and advertising.

Now, Experience Marketing is new and I don’t expect you to adopt it into your current marketing strategy immediately (unless you want to sell more than you do now). However, there is ONE thing you can do right now that, if infused into your marketing strategy and culture, would not only make you a better marketer but just might increase revenue too!

Think Like a Consumer.

As a marketer, your perspective may be skewed if you make assumptions about customers based on your own behavior, rather than that of the people you want to reach.

I came across a great post by the Ad Contrarian called “Marketers are from Mars. Consumers are from New Jersey” which illustrates how marketers think and how consumers think couldn’t be more different.

How marketers think:

• How can I engage consumers with my brand?
• How do I connect the personality of my brand with my target audience?
• How can I co-create with my target and develop a conversation?

How consumers think:

• Is there parking?
• Will this f*#king thing work?
• How badly are they going to screw me on the price?
• Will there be anyone there who knows what the f*#k he’s talking about?

Exactly. Think Like a Consumer.

Being a better marketer means understanding your customers’ needs, wants and concerns. Developing a “Think Like a Consumer” mindset not only improves your marketing but also your customers’ experience. Every time they come in contact with you, they feel understood and that keeps them coming back.

How to be a better marketer by thinking like a customer:

• Perform a Signature Brand Audit to learn just how effective your marketing really is at this point.
• Develop a solid marketing strategy to fill in the gaps found in your Signature Brand Audit.
• Monitor and Listen. Dive deeper to find out what your customers are saying about your business. Invest in a social dashboard that will track the conversations around your business.
• Respond. Leads happen and you need to be savvy about it. Answer consumer questions and respond with another question. Help them figure out what’s best for them.
• Provide relevant content. Now that you think like a consumer, your content will be much richer and more relevant, thereby attracting more buyers and increasing your visibility in search.
• Fish where the fish are. If your customer is online then your salespeople better be too. Salespeople must recognize the need to market themselves, so provide the guidance needed for them to act accordingly online.

Thinking like the consumer means empathizing with the experience they’re going through. Chances are, their purchase is a milestone in their life. Don’t treat it like just another transaction or your latest deal.

Think like a consumer. Adopt this ONE thing and it will change everything. Set your strategy in place and provide leadership to guide your culture.