S.T.A.R.T. Marketing
I was inspired recently by an insert in a local magazine called, 19 Practical Tips for Living Green. Not 101, just 19. They were laid out simply and the list length seemed manageable. It was meant to get you thinking about new ways to incorporate a green approach, not be a definitive guide.
The insert was a good reminder to “think green” beyond recycling bottles, so I tore it out. I will be reminded of the options presented next time I go through my bulging “interesting articles to read” folder.
What the insert got me thinking about is how I could encapsulate my approach to marketing. So, being a marketer, I came up with an easy-to-remember acronym to summarize: S.T.A.R.T.
Simplify Target Act Review Try Again
Simplify: Frankly, no one has a lot of time, so get to the point. What is the critical bit of information that will entice a customer to buy? It’s the essence, the gem, the root of the need you fill with your product or service. Remember, it’s all about the customer.
Target: You simply cannot tell everyone at once, so choose your target. I call it Sponge Marketing. If you have three sponges on a table, you saturate them more quickly if you dump a whole glass of water on one of them, rather than dipping your fingers in the glass and sprinkling all three.
Act: People, Nike got it right. Just do it! You won’t get to Belize by reading travel magazines. You must market to win. Win customers, win market share, win mind share. It’s not optional. Companies that “get” it, make it.
Review: How do you know if it’ll work? You make a calculated assessment and then you check. You’ll never know unless you start with a baseline, set a goal and build in measurement tools. Get specific about what you want so you have criteria to assess.
Try Again: Wash, rinse, repeat. Didn’t get the landslide response you were expecting?
Assume you could have done a better job, review, and learn from your mistakes. It’s more art than science. Do it again, a little differently, review, tweak and try again.
The biggest issue any business faces in marketing their product or service is getting out the gate in the first place. If it prompts you to approach your marketing in a more systematic, outcome-driven way, feel free to tear out this S.T.A.R.T. Marketing reminder, and refer to it often.
Leave a Comment
