Recently, I visited Poland, and let me say: your preconceived notions about it being the land of meat is absolutely correct. Sausage, pork, beef ... you name it, I ate it.
If you've read any of my past posts, you know I love turning zany experiences into entrepreneurial inspiration. In Poland, I found small business lessons in my carnivorous consumption, this time applying to marketing.
You can have too much of a good thing
While I enjoyed every pork knuckle and meat-filled pierogi I had in Poland, I might become a vegetarian for a while to counteract the effects of so much meat! Let's use this as inspiration for your marketing's frequency. Are you one of those people who updates your Facebook business page five times an hour, thus bombarding those who follow you with unwanted messages? If so, stop that.
Yes, you need marketing to spread the word about your business, but you have to use it in moderation. Pay attention to the results you get, particularly on social media and email. If your email response rate goes down the more emails you send, send fewer emails and check analytics again. Know that every social media platform has a different tempo. You might get away with posting frequently to Twitter or Instagram, given the fast pace of these channels, but you may only need a few updates a week on LinkedIn or Facebook.
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A little variety can go a long way
You wouldn't believe all the ways they prepare pork in Poland! Pork "shavings," cured meats, pork belly ... I never felt like I was eating the same animal because of the diverse preparation.
One of the many Polish culinary delights I was served on my trip.
Ask yourself, Is your marketing varied and engaging across different platforms, or do you simply cut and paste one message across all? Remember that some people follow you on different social media channels, as well as subscribe to your emails and read your blogs, so if you're providing identical messaging across all channels, you're really not giving them a reason to interact with you on different platforms.
Customize your marketing message based on the channel. For example, your emails might be where you offer special promotions to subscribers only. On Facebook, you might provide links to your blog content. On Instagram, you share photos from your product launch. Mixing it up gives your audience more reason to get excited to connect with you in different places.
Do something different
My last night in Poland, I swore I wouldn't consume meat at dinner. But then I saw a chef preparing steak tartare tableside, and I couldn't help myself.
In your marketing, are you following the leader and doing what everyone else is doing, or do you strive to find innovative ways to really grab your audience by the eyeballs? It's great to get inspiration from what others are doing with marketing, but forge your own path. I guarantee you'll get more attention if you go in the opposite direction as everyone else.
Whether you ever make it to Poland or not, remember the lesson that its many meat dishes can teach you about marketing!
