Most times, in startups and small businesses, we’re so busy that we get ahead of ourselves and put tactics before a strategic plan. While this may sound obvious, many may forego it due to the negative connotation that ‘strategic planning’ brings – time. But, there are ways to create simple tweaks to current strategies to enable better goal alignment with efforts already underway.

Who is your true target audience? This means your ideal fit, not anyone who may still be in the consideration phase. These people want to purchase, can purchase and are finalizing who they’ll contact to inquire about a purchase. Consider this when creating your targeted marketing efforts and the behavior that these people tend to take and through which channels. Reach them THERE, with THAT information. Do less of what does not serve this audience, if at all.

Is your price point serving you or making you work harder? Really consider if your price is making you do more to gain less. Could you have fewer customers at a higher price and still be making a profit? Do you even have a profit goal? Many times we think more is better but if you are a small shop you could be running the risk of letting things slip through the cracks or running yourself ragged for a price point that makes it not worth the huge effort. Set goals and test price points to adjust your current client base. Don’t be lured into promotional prices – the clients will only last as long as the price cut does! Better to build a strong client base that has the means and desire for your service than to try to lure those who do not to stay on.

Do you use a web intake form? How much time do you spend on sales intake? If you’re a sole proprietor, this can be a huge time suck. Think of how you can get the information you need to move forward as quickly as possible without returning mounds of emails and loads of voice mails. Can you create an intake form to redirect people to that lets you assess and prioritize? Are there certain criteria you can institutionalize for which clients/customers get priority? This is not meant to replace personal contacts as that is huge for your business – we’re not talking unpersonalized automation here. Rather, we’re looking for ways to allow you to optimize your time with the clients you do see by meeting their needs immediately or sending them on to another solution.

These three simple and easy to implement ideas should free you up to do more of what you love doing, making your clients satisfied evangelists for your product. It’s a win-win for you, them and your word of mouth marketing – your number one referral maker.

This morning I stumbled upon the Neiman Lab’s article on the Leaked New York Times Innovation Report. Which, you NEED to read. Many of the key take aways are no brainers but a few ring very true to the way we’ve seen digital trending and may even be trying to get our own properties bended towards. 

Some of my favorite highlights for higher ed:

The importance of packaging content: we often create content with no plan on how it will be used, promoted or measured. Also, we think of content as only being something new, not something old. We need to find better ways to use the content we have in innovative, fun and user focused ways. 

The relevance of social media strategy: social media plays a vital role in not only creating news, but spreading it and finding it in real time. We need to be better about creating a strong, integrated, multi-platform strategies that build on each other and reach greater audience depth. 

Taxonomy in all of its glory: we have a ton of data and stories. We need to find better ways to categorize it and serve it up in meaningful, interactive and creative ways that get user attention and make our content work for us longer term. 

User generated content wins: we don’t know it all and could benefit from outsider perspective. Using content from our audience helps extend our knowledge base as well as show our human side. We need to trust and provide more opportunities for this to happen on its own. 

Calculated risk taking: being creative and using new technology is often a risk. Most times, we do not think of ways to include various outlets until someone else takes our content and does it on their own, with all the glory that comes with. We need to try new things more often and learn from what works and what doesn’t. 

Being user focused, not ego focused: this may be the hardest for some well established brands in higher ed (and beyond) to take. People may not be coming to you for specific information. We need to make it easier for them to find, be served it and to share and build upon our own content. 

What take aways did you find the most supportive for your current dream list in your gig?

Lately, I’ve come to realize my wardrobe is extremely lacking. In building it up, I’ve been letting anything that speaks to me in some way end up in my closet. Hence: these shoes. At first, I thought they were ‘too much’. Then, I decide to just give ’em a shot and see how I felt about them. So far, I’ve only warn them once, but it’s still an experiment. One that I’m giddy with anticipation over: I’m finding my THING.

As communication practitioners we’ve come to loathe the shiny. The new. The next thing. Maybe not due to their specific purposes, but because of the disdain they cause us in the office. The desire by others to jump on to the next thing before we’ve even sorted out the old one. The ‘but so and so is using it’. The ‘here’s a vendor that emailed me about using it’. The ‘let’s just do it’. Sigh.

We need to make sure that we balance the ‘WANT’ with the practical need in a way that serves us in all that we do. Little experiments can make all the difference in deciding if a new initiative is a right fit for us. A way to ensure that is to:

1. Make sure it can fit into our current strategy. As long as it does not compete with what we’re trying to do with other tactics go ahead and try that new thing, be it snapchat or letting go of your viewbook.

2. Implement it in a way that’s true to our brand. How would our brand act as a person? This is how we should consider applying new communication strategies.

3. Find a way to add value for our audience. Will this just be a repeat of other channels? How will it give the consumer more?

4. Learn something. About ourselves. About our audience. Use this experiment to find out more and deliver better, in any way.

If we can do these four things, a little ‘Oooh, Shiny’ can be a fantastic thing, instead of the two dirtiest words in our office vocabulary.

How have you balanced the old and the new in your current communications strategy?