Slow & Steady is the Key to Marketing Success

Changing Lanes

The other day I was driving over the Courtney Campbell Causeway on my way to the office when a souped up Mazda 3 with an enormous spoiler zoomed zoomed zoomed passed me.

I watched as this fast and furious car swerved in and out of lanes, anxiously trying to pass other vehicles. The driver would jerk left, speed forward, slam the breaks just before hitting another car, and then suddenly jerk right.

Rinse and repeat.

The car eventually drifted out of my line of sight and I started thinking about other things.

My drive into the office is typically pretty smooth. Some mornings are plagued with traffic jams, but overall I have an easy 20-minute drive. I usually pick a lane and stay in it while I cruise over the bridge.

That morning when I finally made it to my exit and rolled toward the stoplight, I noticed the same sporty Mazda 3 waiting there beside me. We had essentially arrived to our final destination at the exact same time even though the Mazda seemed to be traveling at a faster rate.

In reality, however, risky swerving and sudden acceleration didn't get the other driver to his destination any faster. His end result was no better than mine, other than I was calm and ready to start my day.

Even though we had arrived at the same time, I had won the race.

I think when it comes to marketing there are many companies who are a lot like the driver in the Mazda 3. They believe they can get quick results if they rev up their engines, speed ahead with a few campaigns, and hit the breaks a few weeks after launch until they are ready for the next campaign.

But stop-and-go marketing kills the message, damaging audience brand recognition, loyalty and engagement.

Companies who are looking for long-term marketing success should focus on building and maintaining brand momentum by delivering consistent messaging before, during, after and between campaigns.

To do this effectively, I suggest creating a content marketing strategy that allows you to plan, create and schedule relevant content on an ongoing basis.

1. Plan – Use an editorial content to plan you impending content and to ensure a consistent message across all of your communication channels, like your blog, social media sites, video, etc.
2. Create – Schedule time in your day to sit down and create content. Repurpose existing content, like presentations and webinars, to create blog articles or videos. Turn customer questions into an educational resource.
3. Schedule – Leverage scheduling tools and marketing automation software to deliver your content on a regular basis through email and social media networks.

Remember, successful marketing is about building and maintaining brand momentum – and this is best achieved with a slow and steady approach. If you need some help, consider hiring a digital agency to carry some of the load.