Why Clarity Is Key

This post was originally written for my work blog over at ADwërks, so I thought I'd share it here too. Enjoy!

My wife and I recently made a road trip down to Springfield, Missouri. Unfortunately, we left from Sioux Falls around 8:00 pm. And it’s a 9+ hour drive.

The night we left, we ran into a problem. To make a long story short, some misplaced and incorrectly-marked detour signs added about 50 minutes to our already-9-hour drive. And since this all took place around midnight, our options for getting help were extremely limited (and I’m not even the stereotypical, never-asks-for-directions male that is portrayed in every travel-related movie).

All it would’ve taken was one or two more clearly marked signs. A few guideposts to ensure that we were on the right path. But there we were, wondering why the detour signs for I-29 S were pointing BOTH directions at a T-intersection.

However, even amidst all of the intense frustration and confusion, I realized that this scenario fits perfectly in the business world. Because, when it comes to sharing your message with your customers, it’s amazing how much a little extra clarity can do. Whether it’s encouraging them to pay for your product or service or simply asking them to support you on Facebook, giving your target audience clear, defined ways to accomplish a goal is essential.

If your Facebook page isn’t growing as quickly as you’d like, have you considered adding a “Like” button for your page on your company website? If your online sales are down, have you been sure to include a prominently displayed “Buy Now” (or similarly-messaged) button on your site? Small guideposts can make a big difference when it comes to keeping your customers on the right path.

Eventually we found our way, but it would’ve been much easier if things were clear the first time around. Make sure your customers aren’t suffering the same fate my wife and I suffered on our road trip. I can tell you from personal experience that clarity is, in fact, key.

-Mike B.

Do Your Ads Have A Purpose (Or Are They Just Filler Text)?

Another blog post I originally wrote for the ADwërks blog, but wanted to share on my personal site too. Hope you like it.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua…

Be honest. You thought we screwed up, right? You thought maybe one of us ADwërkers blew it and accidentally posted filler text in place of a thought-provoking, world-changing blog post.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but it was intentional. We wanted to demonstrate a point. If the copy, content or ads you produce do so little to inspire movement or ignite passion that they might as well be filler text, then it’s time to consider a stronger approach to your messaging strategy.

To be clear, this isn’t a matter of copywriting. It’s not a simple question of “does this ad get someone’s attention?” It’s a matter of whether or not your marketing reflects your company’s unique qualities and aspects.

If you’re a banker, think about your bank’s latest newspaper ad. Now think about that same ad with a rival bank’s logo placed over yours. Would anybody (besides you) know the difference? If you’re in the auto repair business, would anybody notice if your radio spot had a different shop’s name voiced over your shop’s name? If the answer to either question is no, then you have a problem.

Because if the ads you run are simply filler text like lorem ipsum, it’s time you consider a new approach. One that gets to the core of your business and shows the world what makes you unique. One that shows people the aspects of your business that none of your competitors can copy.

There’s a reason we at ADwërks emphasize handcrafted marketing as our calling card. Because in this day and age, if it’s not unique, it’s not going to be noticed.

And if it doesn’t get noticed, it might as well just be filler text.

-Mike B.

Photo by Mårten Björk. Thanks Mårten!

Driving brand management (in the real world)

I originally wrote this post for my work blog at ADwërks, but also wanted to share it here on my personal blog. Enjoy!

Imagine a perfect Saturday afternoon. You’re driving down the street when you look in your rearview mirror and discover that, seemingly out of nowhere, a large pickup truck is riding your tail and isn’t letting up.

Your blood boils. You’re already going the speed limit. In fact, you might even be going a few miles per hour over the speed limit. You think, “Why is this idiot so desperate to get past me?” Then you get over to let them pass and, as they speed by, you notice an “Anderson Construction” or “Jackson Bros. Plumbing” logo along the side of the truck. And you think to yourself, “Well I’m never using THOSE jerks in the future.”

Unfortunately, that’s what happened to me last weekend. Odds are you’ve experienced the same at least once or twice in your life.

As a business owner or manager, can you really afford to have drivers leaving such a negative impression of your business on potential customers? Of course not. But, for some reason, it happens more than it ever should as far as I’m concerned.

In an era where business owners are increasingly concerned about the next “viral campaign” or “engaging” on their Facebook page, maybe they should remember to train their employees on reputation management in other important markets like, you know, real life.

I know everybody can have a bad day and people are people, but if you’re going to slap your logo on the side of a truck and let employees drive it around town, remind them that they are no longer Johnny Anonymous. They represent your business now, and, unless your business doesn’t care for new customers, they should probably drive like it.

Think of it this way: A little bit of brand management from the start will do a lot to keep your employees from driving me crazy – and driving me away from your business.

-Mike B.

How about you: have you dealt with similarly frustrating experiences? As a business owner, have you trained your employees to represent your brand with class and professionalism? Let us know your thoughts on either question in the comments below.

Photo c/o nick@. Thanks Nick!

Know Your Audience

I originally wrote this post for my work blog at ADwërks. Wanted to share it on here as well.

Yesterday, the graphically-talented Mike Hay and I were brainstorming and concepting for a client’s magazine ad we needed to create.

We spent about five minutes discussing cool ad concepts, fun design possibilities and creative, punchy copy that would stand out from the rest of the ads.

And then we came to a realization. We were creating an ad in a style we would like to see in a magazine. Unfortunately, we were not the magazine’s target audience. Once we realized that, our entire creative process shifted and we came up with an ad that was much more fitting for what we – and more importantly, what the client – wanted to accomplish.

As marketers, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking about what we do or don’t like to see. We watch commercials that annoy us and we vow never to make a commercial like those. We see billboards that appall us and we promise ourselves we’ll never make a billboard like that.

In short, we think of how we want to be marketed to rather than how the target audience should be marketed to.

Remember: As advertisers, we are not marketing to each other. We get paid to help our clients reach the customers that love (or will love) our clients’ products and services.

Personal opinions and viewpoints are essential to coming up with new and exciting ways to reach a target audience – just make sure you really are trying to reach the target audience and not your fellow marketers.

-Mike B.

How about you? Ever created the “perfect” ad only to discover it really wasn’t “perfect” for the intended audience? Can you think of any national campaign efforts that failed miserably at reaching the target market? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Photo ("our chunk of audience at the heretic") c/o Jhayne. Thanks!

Why Sherlock Holmes Would Have Been A Great Marketer

This post originally appeared on my work blog at ADwërks, but I wanted to post it on here as well. Enjoy!

I watched Sherlock Holmes this past weekend and it led me to an eye-opening realization about marketing and advertising.For those of you who don’t know who Sherlock Holmes is, here’s Wikipedia to the rescue. Basically, he’s one of the world’s most widely recognized fictional detectives, he’s eccentric but brilliant, and he uses sound logic and deductive reasoning to solve seemingly-impossible to solve cases.

In the movie, they base Holmes’s ability to solve a case on the various “clues” he sees that most people would never notice. He recognizes a woman was previously engaged due to the small tan line around her finger. He deduces that a certain individual is a professor based on some chalk remnants near his collar.

The important thing to remember is this: NONE of the clues he finds are hidden. They certainly aren’t noticeable to the casual observer, but they aren’t hidden or invisible. The difference between Sherlock Holmes and the casual observer is that Holmes is always looking for clues.

So, as a marketer, are you Sherlock Holmes for your clients, or are you just a casual observer?

• A casually observing marketer runs a billboard for a client’s new product or service because “that’s just what we’ve always done.”
• A Sherlock Holmes marketer gathers clues by conducting marketing research which can lead to better, more informed decisions for the marketing campaign.

• A casually observing marketer simply reviews his or her client’s website analytics and sends a weekly report on Friday afternoon.
• A Sherlock Holmes marketer labors over each facet of a website’s analytics in order to best determine areas of improvement that could make the site even stronger.

• A casually observing marketer tells a client to “get on Twitter” so the client can send links to its website and keep its followers up to date on sales and promotions.
• A Sherlock Holmes marketer uses logic to help the client determine if social networking is the right path to take. Then the Sherlock Holmes marketer deduces how a client can best connect with customers to strengthen relationships, establish brand loyalty and inspire movements.

These are just a few examples of how digging a little deeper for your clients can produce great work and, more importantly, build a stronger relationship with your clients and their customers. Remember, the only way you can pick up on clues that will help you improve your work is by always looking for clues that will help you improve your work.

It truly is elementary, my dear Watson.

-Mike B.

Do you do work with the careful eye of Sherlock Holmes? Do you have any examples to share of a time when you went from casually observing to digging for clues and finding success like Sherlock Holmes? Do you think Robert Downey Jr. was as awesome in Sherlock Holmes as he was in Iron Man? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

Photo ("Sherlock Holmes Statue") c/o shining.darkness. Thanks!

Changing Times

I thought about starting this post with a super cheesy intro. Something along the lines of “As the seasons change, so changes life…”

Then I realized that was dumb, so I decided to just write the post instead.

Recently, my life has changed. I have left my former place of employment (Deep Bench) and have taken on a role at a different Sioux Falls marketing and advertising shop called ADwërks. My Deep Bench departure is on completely amicable terms and there’s no bad blood or anything, but I needed a change and ADwërks came to the rescue.

I’m excited for what I will be doing here, which is continuing on my path of writing (traditional copy, web copy, blog posts, notes that I think are funny but the rest of the office probably finds idiotic, etc.), social media and content strategy, and perhaps even a little bit of account coordinating while I’m at it. Although the work is temporary as of now, I think it will be a great test for me to see if I really know what I’m doing in this wonderful industry we call marketing.

Lately, between my relationship with my girlfriend and some rediscovery (or maybe just regular discovery) of my faith, I’ve really felt more compelled than ever to treat every day as a gift from God and an opportunity to work hard and show that I have some value to offer this world.

Where it goes from here is still uncertain, but the feeling I have right now certainly feels right. With my feet back on solid ground again (for now), I intend to get myself refocused in lots of areas. One of them will be in writing consistently. It’s possible I will be publishing a book of poetry/short stories, which should be extremely exciting. And if it doesn’t happen, I’ll keep writing anyway and probably try to share more of it here on the blog. I hope you are looking forward to it as much as I am.

Hope you are all are doing well, and I’ll be back with more soon.