NKOTB's Step by Step Guide to Marketing
I am still on a high, singing choruses with matching dance moves from last week's New Kids on the Block concert. I dragged my husband to come with me, and I wasn't alone, seeing the Shoreline Amphitheater filled to the brim with women my age with their husbands and children in tow.
NKOTB was my first-ever concert. That was 1992. Fast forward 32 years, seeing Jordan, Donnie, Joey, Jonathan, and Danny perform what is essentially the soundtrack of my high school days, accompanied by the same choreography from back then, made me squeal, among thousands of other 40++ year-old women, in a pitch no different from when we were fifteen.
There was one song I was waiting for, "Step by Step," and it was no surprise they saved it for last. The crowd went wild and sang as one when it came to the "steps."
The following, no doubt, reveals my age as I listened to and sang the lyrics and thought these "steps" can apply to marketing. So, without further ado, here are NKOTB's Step by Step Guide to Marketing.
Step 1: "We can have lots of fun"
Don't confine yourself to a single strategy, a single platform, a single script, or a single anything, really. Marketing is fun! At least, it should be. Don't attack it like a problem to be solved or a wrinkle to be ironed out. Approach it like a game of discovery. You gain points when a strategy works out and no points when it doesn't. There are no points lost, really, or "failure" if you want to be hard on yourself. They're all learning experiences, and each move, whether you win points or not, helps you refine and define your next move. Relax. Breathe. Play with different strategies. When you know there's nothing to lose, you're more emboldened to be more creative and try new things the competition don't dare to attempt.
Step 2: "There's so much we can do"
Piggybacking on Step 1, develop the courage to experiment. The concept is so simple but it eludes many: If what you're doing isn't giving you the results you want, try something different. Don't keep doing what you're doing, crossing your fingers that it will magically work one day. The more you test, switch things up, surprise your audience (maybe even yourself), the more ground you'll cover in learning what works and what doesn't.
Step 3: "It's just you and me"
A voice of authority isn't always established by a tone reserved for BBC documentaries or scientific reports. Develop a voice that your audience, as human beings, not just their job titles, can relate to. Talk to them like you would with your close friend, your adult children, your brother or sister, or anyone you care about. Avoid highfalutin words that do nothing but intimidate or alienate. Imagine you and your audience having a cup of coffee on a beautiful morning with nowhere to rush to. Engage them in conversation that is honest, open, and helpful. And most importantly, listen to their feedback.
Step 4: "I can give you more"
You don't always have to spill everything in each blog, Instagram post, or LinkedIn article. Every now and then, give them a teaser and lead them to a place where you keep everything you have to offer (e.g. your website). Give them something of value and lead them to that place where they'll know that if they need anything more, they know where to find you.
Step 5: "Don't you know that the time has arrived"
It's time to put a pep in your step and freshen up your marketing strategy. On a piece of paper, write down (without overthinking it) five marketing strategies you've never tried. It could be a product video, a tutorial, an infographic, a podcast, TikTok—any strategy you have not dipped your toes in for whatever reason—fear, laziness, lack of knowledge—and then give it a shot, a real stab at it, and see what happens. It may or may not work, but there's no way to know unless you try it out.
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