Where Are You Headed?

By Frank L. Williams

“We need to post on Facebook more often.”

“We should do some billboards.”

“We need to do a newsletter.”

“I want to send out two press releases every month.”

“We need to be doing ads like the ones that pop up after I search for a product on Google.”

“Let’s buy some TV ads.”

If a client suggests one of these things or something similar, my first question will be “why? (unless I already know the answer based on my experience working with them).”

Your “why” should be related to where you want to take your business or organization. What do you want to accomplish? Are you looking to sell more of a specific product? Do you want to expand into a new territory? Are you positioning your business to sell it?  Are you trying to attract new donors to your non-profit? Does your trade association want to see a particular piece of legislation passed?

Who needs to understand your message for you to achieve your goals? How can you reach them?

If posting on Facebook, renting a billboard, or sending a press release will help you tell your story to the people who need to hear it, then you should consider it. If not, you shouldn’t expend your valuable time and resources doing it.

As Yogi Berra said, “If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.”

If you don’t know where you’re headed, it’s hard to choose the best route to get you there. If you don’t have clearly defined business goals, it’s hard to choose the right tools to tell your story.

Where are you headed?

Need help defining your business and marketing communication goals? Drop us a line!