By Chantal Reed
Move over Digital Marketing, it’s not all about YOU.
It’s all about Data… and you are probably thinking, “Yes, yes. We know that Chantal.” But give me a moment, as for me it has taken its time to finally be recognised as the new kid on the block; it’s more of a Tyson Fury that has been warming up in the background and is now ready for the big fight. The mark of a great marketeer is not the channels that are used or the ‘new’ piece of digital mastery undertaken, but it is the same as it has always been…
Value propositions that are investigated within an inch of their lives and are continuously reviewed support positioning. This then leads to bullseye messaging that truly resonates with the ICP and buying committees.
But it doesn’t stop there. What has been created is the brand or company value proposition. Now, you need to extrapolate to the crux of the solution proposition and THEN to each of the buying committees.
RIGHT MESSAGE TO THE RIGHT PERSON AT THE RIGHT TIME
We haven’t even got to the external marketing activity of which digital forms are part. All the above will allow marketers to then utilise the right data and the right propositions to be able to silo the data with the right message at the right time.
The mantra of marketing, and of course B2B, is simple. Get the right message, to the right person at the right time. And I would add that the ‘get’ means in the right way – whether that be digital marketing, peer-to-peer discussion, social media etc. Don’t forget how simple marketing really is; when you strip it back it is all about the data.
DATA COMPANIES AND PRIORITISING THE INVESTMENT
How do you get to this data? I have helped many SaaS organisations and others at start up or scale up and those needing an analysis of how they are to grow their businesses. I always have to start with the fact that they may need to invest in data martech. Now with these data martech companies utilising AI at a rapid state, it is imperative that you set up some form of analysed data area, whether internal or external, that can work with the brand and solution value propositions.
“But we haven’t got that kind of cash!” I hear you cry.
I understand that prioritising your investors’ money is very important. So, I suggest taking on a consultant who understands how to create positioning and has had the scars in building value propositions themselves – not via agencies.
A VALUE PROPOSITION IS WHY YOUR ICP BUY
It’s annoying to me that many companies don’t really think a value proposition is of any value! It is the bedrock of quickly breaking into a market. The key is to have an innovation in the first place that the market is either lacking or the competition is weak.
The other day, I saw that a fab twenty-something on LinkedIn has started a business creating video snippets of what founders are saying, and then applying social media to enhance their conversations. My first thoughts were, “What are they going to say? Have the founders gone through a value analysis prior to camera?”
I think the Value Proposition is a forgotten art form. However, with the rise of data and the use of AI, you must remember the saying Garbage IN Garbage OUT…
I rest my case marketers and founders.