Up to the sky, back down with a bump. When you were a kid, going on the seesaw (teeter-totter to our American friends) was one of those fun activities that you relished. Up to the sky, maybe even with a little extra spring to add a little exhilaration, and then back down with a bump. There’s that joy of reaching new heights and the blissful feeling of the free fall. Fantastic!
Sadly, while a seesaw is a favourite in the playground as a kid, it’s much less fun when it comes to marketing. Do you often feel like you’re stuck on a never-ending marketing seesaw? Let’s help you get off the ride and put your feet back on solid ground.
What is a Marketing Seesaw?
“Marketing Seesaw” sounds like a cool buzzword for a new marketing technique. It’s not. Quite the opposite, it’s a trap that can be more damaging than you expect.
First, there’s the up. You’re passionate, determined, driven to put your marketing first and bring in new customers. There’s a flurry of activity – emails go out, blogs get written, websites are updated, advertising organised. Wheee! You can see the sky!
And then there’s the down. Other projects take priority. You can’t dedicate the time you want to your marketing. Promised updates to your website miss deadlines, advertising campaigns run on unchecked, emails become sporadic. You hit the ground with a bump, and often, there’s not even a tyre there to soften the blow.
Oh! And now you’re on the up again. You realise you’ve not given the marketing the focus it needs. More emails, a brilliant new advertising plan, some shiny new blogs…
And then down.
And up.
And… Well, you get the idea!
It’s an all or nothing approach to marketing, filled with panic and avoidance in equal measure.
If we’re being honest, it’s not good for you or your business
Why is a Marketing Seesaw Bad?
Surely, some marketing is better than none, though. How can a marketing seesaw be such a bad thing?
Let’s take a look.
1
Panic and Guilt
Perhaps the first problem with a marketing seesaw is how it impacts you and your headspace. When you are on a downtrend, it can make you panic, adding undue pressure. You can feel guilty that you are not keeping up with it, which can lead to poor prioritising and the rest of your work suffering. Overall, it’s overwhelming. There is rarely a time when feeling panicked and guilty is positive for your business!
2
An Unreliable Impression
For your customers and clients, seesaw marketing just makes you look unreliable. It’s a very public way to display your (dis)organisation practices! Rather than giving the impression of a solid and trustworthy business that’s well-run and in control, it shows the exact opposite.
3
Missed Opportunities
Marketing is often like a snowball. Things start off difficult as you try to expand your reach, but over time, it branches out, and you find more and more opportunities open to you. Take your eye off the ball though, and all too often, it’s back to the beginning. All that hard work you did building up your brand awareness can be gone in an instant, replaced in your customers’ minds by your competitors with a more consistent approach.
4
Time Wasting
There’s a lot to learn in marketing, and that takes time. Step away from it for too long, and all that good knowledge can be forgotten. Not only are you wasting time having to build up your client base and marketing impetus each time, but you are also forcing yourself to learn and relearn. It’s extremely inefficient.
5
You Market for Other People
Quite often, your customers’ brand loyalty will be fickle. When your marketing is inconsistent, you may find yourself in the position of doing all the hard work convincing your potential customers that they need your product or service, only to disappear from their awareness at the moment of conversion. Instead of coming to you, someone else’s brand catches their attention and – having been enticed by the idea – they buy from them instead.
Seesaw marketing can mean you are doing all the early marketing for your competitors!
Avoiding The Ups & Downs
Thankfully, there are simple things you can do that will break the seesaw ride.
1
Forward Planning
When it’s quiet, and you have that time to focus on marketing, don’t dive right in. Instead, create a 6-month plan.
Focus on the core marketing aspects and think about how you want to reach your customers. Consider your social marketing platforms and outline the techniques to best utilise them; plan blogs well in advance; consider any videos or other media marketing; and determine when you want to send out emails and what they will be about.
You don’t have to write everything now – this is a planning stage – but a comprehensive plan will be your greatest asset in avoiding the seesaw.
2
Plan For Another Plan
In the fourth or fifth month of your plan, there should be time set aside to plan the next six months. This is where you dedicate yourself to analysing the data from your current marketing, make adjustments, and develop the next plan. That way, you avoid the down stage of inactivity once your first six months come to an end.
3
Get Help
Want to get off the seesaw? Sometimes you need to ask for help!
You need to be out there doing the work you are good at, and that probably isn’t scheduling emails or making video content for TikTok. Through outsourcing, you can produce the professional content you want to represent your company. Don’t think you have to do everything yourself.
Outsourcing the content creation and marketing campaign administration means you will be present for your customers doing the business for which they come to you
4
Keep Your Structure
Structures are solid and dependable. Once you have a structure in place for your marketing, stick to it! It can be as simple as a calendar, but by having it there, you always have something to refer to that keeps you going forward – no matter how busy you are. No more fruitless ups and downs!
A Steady Marketing Approach
Armed with your structure, your six-month plan, and some outside expertise, your seesaw marketing will transform into a steady path with clear goals and that previously elusive pot of gold at its end.
Consistent marketing means:
- Stronger impact on customers
- Wider reach
- More opportunities
- Brand loyalty
- Improved reputation
- Better long-term outcomes
All this while also being a more effective use of time and resources that’s streamlined and easy to manage. No more panic and guilt!
Getting off the Seesaw
If you are on a marketing seesaw, don’t worry – most people find themselves there at some point. What’s important is that you spot the signs and do what you can to jump off when you do, returning to marketing consistency.
Want some help in stopping the up and down of the seesaw ride? Book a call with me here.
