Nothing’s working? Hate to break it to you: You haven’t actually tried everything.
I hear the “we’ve tried everything” phrase way too often, particularly from marketers. Interestingly, founders tend to be more optimistic about their company’s potential, which suggests that the feeling of having exhausted all options often stems from a sense of fatigue or a lack of clarity on potential solutions.
In many cases, it’s not just about marketing strategies falling short. Sometimes, other departments’ workflows are inefficient, or the product itself might need adjustments. As a marketer, it’s crucial to collaborate across the board and refine your approach continually. Here’s a comprehensive guide on what to do when your content seems to be hitting a wall.
1. Work on the Product
Why it Matters: While improving the product may not be your primary job, as a marketer, you’re often the first to receive feedback from prospects about their dissatisfaction. Communicating these issues to the product team and contributing to product development can ensure the product better meets the market’s needs.
Implementation Tip: Regularly gather and analyze feedback from customers and prospects. Share these insights with the product team and participate in brainstorming sessions to address common complaints and improve the product. This proactive approach can lead to a more market-fit offering that is easier to market effectively.
2. Collaborate with Other Departments
Why it Matters: Marketing doesn’t exist in a vacuum. By collaborating with other departments like customer support, sales, and the product team, you can ensure a more cohesive strategy that addresses the customer journey comprehensively.
Implementation Tip: Set up regular meetings with key stakeholders from different departments. For instance, working with customer support can help you understand common customer concerns and develop content that addresses these issues. Similarly, aligning with the product team can help you craft marketing messages that highlight the product’s strengths effectively.
3. Refine Your Target Audience, Positioning, and Messaging
Why it Matters: Sometimes, the issue isn’t with your content but with who you’re targeting and how you’re positioning your product. It’s essential to revisit and refine your target audience, positioning, and messaging periodically.
Implementation Tip: Dedicate time to conduct thorough market research. Identify new potential audience segments and test different positioning strategies. Use A/B testing to compare different messages and see which resonates better with your target audience. This iterative process can help you find the right market fit.
4. Dedicate More Time to Your Best Bets
Why it Matters: If certain channels or tactics have shown decent results, doubling down on them can often yield better outcomes than spreading your efforts too thin across multiple strategies.
Implementation Tip: Analyze your past campaigns to identify which channels have performed best. Allocate more resources and effort to these high-performing channels. For instance, if email marketing has shown good engagement rates, focus on refining and expanding your email campaigns to maximize results.
5. Foster a Culture of Continuous Improvement
Why it Matters: Marketing is an ever-evolving field, and what works today might not work tomorrow. Encouraging a culture of continuous improvement and experimentation can keep your strategies fresh and effective.
Implementation Tip: Implement regular review sessions where you assess the performance of your marketing strategies. Encourage your team to bring new ideas and test them out in controlled ways. Learning from both successes and failures will help you adapt and stay ahead of the curve.
Final Thoughts
When it feels like your content isn’t working, it’s easy to feel stuck and frustrated. However, by taking a step back and adopting a holistic approach that involves product improvement, cross-department collaboration, audience refinement, and focusing on what works best, you can turn things around.
Remember, marketing is not just about deploying tactics but also about understanding and adapting to the needs of your market. What are some of your top tips when it comes to revitalizing content that seems to be underperforming? Let’s share insights and learn together to drive better results.
Alexandra Cote 🚀 