Measuring individuals’ feelings and perceptions can be complex, especially when they are not always clearly expressed by customers and prospects. Advocates of factoring feelings into marketing strategies state that “people don’t always know what they want anyways, that their emotions towards our products or brand cannot be put in a box, quantified or measured.” I also believe that people have complex emotions that are influenced by what they are currently doing, where they reside, the people they are with, and a thousand other factors.
I agree that people are complex, and the more we fit our products or services to their unique priorities and needs, the more they are interested in connecting with us and seeing what we offer(1). We all want genuine conversation and the feeling that we are being heard.
That works fine when we talk to 20 people in a day— it’s more difficult when we try communicating with 1000+ people. That is when we need big data tools and a strategy with a scientific approach, otherwise it is VERY hard to extract results.
Fortunately, there are tools that can be used for just this purpose. When communicating to the masses, these tools can be used once the strategy is defined, prior to communication, whether that communication is to acquire customers or to have a group of people perform a specific action.
The following list consists of tools that will help you implement a more scientific marketing approach for your organization. Use these to improve your marketing efforts and achieve greater results. But remember, you need to communicate this to your teams as well! It’s not just for you!
- Identify the SMART outcome desired. SMART stands for Simple, Measurable, Ambitious, Realistic, and Time-able. You always need an objective to know where you’re going. Without an objective you cannot accomplish a task. For example, when you get in your car to run an errand, you need to have the destination in mind. Otherwise, you’ll drive around aimlessly and never accomplish your task.
- Identification of KPIs. KPI stands for Key Performance Indicators, and they are part of the SMART objectives. You should define the most important factors of success (KPIs) and track them to make sure that you are on your way to realizing your vision.
- Personas identification card. Identify your best customers so that you can learn their challenges, their weaknesses, the treats, they like and other aspects that trigger positive stimuli in their mind. Start with five customer profiles and grow your understanding from there.
- Implement your marketing dashboard. Now that you have your KPIs defined, make sure that you use them and have them in front of your eyes at least once a week, preferably in an easy-to-read format where all relevant information is easily accessible.
- A/B Test, A/B Test, A/B Test. Experiment with different iterations and track which option works best. Don’t just go with one approach, it will limit your potential success. Do several iterations with the same number of recipients to compare which approach will ultimately be your biggest winner. Use the best approach and run with it!
As you can see, I believe in scientific marketing. To me, it is just like the periodic table of elements in physics. We should be able to categorize our customers, use formulas to strike a reaction from them, and ultimately cultivate a level of interest towards our brand.
Blinds.com did a pretty good job presenting the Periodic Table of Marketing Elements to their own customers.
How do you feel about science in marketing?
(1) I recommend that you study Maslow’s pyramid when you get a chance (http://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html), it will help you position your product and motivate your customers to reduce friction in their decision-making process. (That’s another post for another day.)
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