Christmas. It all seems a lifetime ago now, doesn’t it? The festive feeling of excitement in the air, late nights spent wrapping presents and writing cards, sipping mulled wine with friends by the fire, the smell of the perfect Christmas dinner being created as the pigs in blankets are taken from the oven……
Speaking of which, the Christmas Dinner is probably one of the most talked-about meals of the year. It has become the jewel in the crown of Christmas Day and often dominates the days leading up to the event as frantic shoppers search shelves for the perfect ingredients. The supermarkets battle it out on our screens with adverts showing gravy drizzled over impossibly moist Turkey, families laughing around the table… no burned roasties…no after-dinner arguments.
And what, you ask, has all this got to do with Marketing?
Well, actually a fair bit. Maybe I’d had too much Bailey’s, but whilst the stuffing balls were crisping up on the 25th of December, I was thinking about how the planning and execution of a Christmas Dinner are comparable to a Digital Marketing Strategy. Go with me here.
First up, you’ve got the ingredients. This is your brand. The brand is the backbone of your business and basically sets the tone for how you will be interpreted in the market. Without a strong brand, with strong values, it will be difficult to represent your business to your target audience. Like using out-of-date turkey and mouldy Maris Pipers - your Christmas dinner just isn’t going to work. So - before even thinking about your strategy, ensure that your brand is ready and that all colours, fonts, images, logos, align with the core of your business.
Next up - prepping the ingredients. No good chef gets the ball rolling for a big meal without meticulously making sure your ingredients are sized, diced, grated, oiled, marinated, and just generally ready for action. The same with your strategy - you’ve got your brand in place, now it’s time to look at how you will get through to your target markets. Sizing up different aspects of your business, and how each can be pushed through various marketing channels is key. Basically, it’s time to have a think about how you can chop, season, and zest your message to get it across to your client base in the best possible way.
Now for the main event. Cooking the bloomin’ thing. You’ve got everything in place and know how you are going to distribute your message. Now is the time to create the content and pull everything together to produce engaging marketing materials. Be creative. But also don’t forget the basics - look at tried and tested ways of hitting your target market and ultimately give them what they want. Nobody wants a turkey covered in your new favourite marzipan and soy sauce dressing. Get these basics right, and then begin to experiment further down the line as you grow in confidence with your marketing. Gather strong imagery that represents your brand well and create carefully planned captions to accompany social media posts. Spend time researching popular hashtags for your industry. The hard work is about to pay off.
So, you’re ready to serve the delicious meal you’ve been slaving over for hours and distribute this fantastic content to the world. Present it well, at appropriate times and across the right channels for your audience, with lashings of gravy of course. Trying new channels, such as TikTok, can be scary but ultimately rewarding for your business and may just find that new secret ingredient for your marketing mix.
It’s now your turn to sit back and watch your audience enjoy the content you have created. Watch how they react to different types of posts, see which part of the meal they are enjoying most - and importantly what gets left on the plate at the end. Don’t overfeed your audience, too much of a good thing can lead to indigestion and it’s far better to keep them wanting more.
Take a special note of those who are really engaged with your posts and put their hands up for seconds….these might just be your new favourite customers.
Now go and have a snooze in front of Only Fools and Horses, you’ve earned it.
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