Dizzied by technology? CRM, marketing automation, Web analytics, mobile technology, big data … the list goes on and on. Technology has taken the field of marketing by storm. This, in and of itself, is no revelation, but the fact that marketers have let technology sway them from foundational strategies that drive success … very much is.
There is no doubt that marketing executives have to clearly understand and embrace technology as part of their strategy, but many have gotten so consumed with the bits and bytes that they have lost sight of the preeminent key to marketing and sales success — messaging.
Just look at the social media posts, surveys, industry reports and editorial coverage over the last couple of years. It has been completely consumed by technology-related articles — but a missing element in this coverage is the critical importance of “your story.”
The truth is that technology is just one part of the equation. Delivering a more focused, relevant message is the key to making technology investments pay off. So while it’s essential that we understand how technology works, it is more important to know how it will play a role in delivering a more clear, compelling and consistent message to your target audience.
It’s time we bring strategic messaging development back to the forefront of marketing. It’s time that we invest the resources and dollars against the fuel (foundational corporate messaging) that will make our technology and channel investments truly pay off. This requires striking the proper balance between messaging development and demand generation initiatives. When this happens, your message will stand out, your technology investments will reap rewards, your channels will perform at higher levels and your business will flourish.
