The 5 Laws of Marketing Minimalism
Marketing minimalism isn’t another marketing strategy to add to your already overflowing list of “things to try” this year. Instead, it’s a way to find and focus on the essentials so that you can do less, not more.
Let me paint a picture. You’re a small business owner with a business you love. You’re passionate about what you do and you know you’ve got a product or service that’s amazing (and that everyone should know about). You know how important marketing is but you’ve got a million things on your plate and you’re constantly being pulled in different directions. You’ve tried one marketing strategy after another, hired “experts”, purchased online courses, signed up for webinars and even worked with big agencies only to find yourself confused, overwhelmed and frustrated with the process. Oh, and you’re still left with a marketing system that’s not working.
Am I close?
Marketing has become incredibly complex.
With new platforms, tactics, algorithms to navigate, strategies, and trends popping up every day it’s not surprising that people are overwhelmed. There have been more changes to digital marketing in the last 10 years than in the previous 100. As a result, small business owners have no idea what they’re doing. So rather than streamlining, simplifying and clarifying, they try to do it all. And it’s not working.
Good news. There’s an alternative. Dearest entrepreneur, let me introduce you to marketing minimalism and the 5 marketing minimalism laws. And brace yourself, because this approach is a game-changer. Before we dive in, let’s get on the same page.
What is Marketing Minimalism
In a nutshell,
A minimalist marketing plan looks like this:
- Accounts for your capacity to produce high-quality work and content
- QUALITY > QUANTITY
- Driven by long-term strategy, not trends or FOMO
And a not-so-minimalist plan looks like this:
- Driven by FOMO and shiny object syndrome
- Trends rule the type of content you produce
- QUANTITY is more important than QUALITY
- Reactive in nature
How and Why Minimalist Marketing Works
Let me be clear, marketing minimalism doesn’t mean less-effective marketing. It means less effort, more focus and greater ROI. Let’s dig in, shall we?
Minimalist Marketing Considers the 50,000-Foot View
Minimalist marketing zooms out and focuses on the whole, rather than the parts. Creating a marketing experience that keeps the big picture squarely in focus creates long-term success rather than stops and starts with various tactics and strategies.
Minimalist Marketing is Rooted in EssentialismI
What’s the most common problem most small business owners and entrepreneurs have with marketing? Overwhelm, frustrated and not knowing what to do next. At least that’s been my experience working with hundreds of small business owners over the last decade. Without clarity, it’s next to impossible to take the right actions.
Minimalist marketing, by contrast, centers around clarity. And, clarity equals focus. Rather than spreading resources across many different things, choose the essential few that you’ll go all in on.
Minimalist Marketing is Guided by a Long-Term Strategy
Rather than using a hodge-podge of tactics (also known as the “throw spaghetti at the wall” approach), minimalist marketing is guided by strategy. Modern marketing often falls victim to chasing the ever-changing algorithms and jumping on whatever the latest tactic bandwagon is but marketing minimalists understand that a well-structured strategy will win every time.
Minimalist Marketing Eliminates the Siloed Approach
It’s sequential. Nothing will complicate and sabotage your marketing efforts quicker than trying a bunch of new things at the same time. Amplify that by having a bunch of different people doing different things and you’ve got an expensive marketing disaster on your hands. One of the most common problems we address with marketing clients is silocitis (I made that up). It happens when the right hand isn’t talking to the left. You know the condition, right?
Minimalist Marketing Employs More Systems and Fewer People
Once you’ve figured out your vital few essential marketing tasks to focus on, allocating your most valuable resources (people and time) to those tasks is essential. If your marketing team (yes, that includes you) is spending precious time on tasks that could be automated or systematized that’s time that is being pulled from essential, people-driven tasks.
Takeaway
Marketing minimalism is likely a relatively new phrase in the marketing world but its premise is simple. It boils down to do only the most essential tasks and cutting the non-essentials out. The marketing model we subscribe to and teach is all about getting rid of filler, fluff and any elements that over-complicate things.
Marketing is complex, but it shouldn’t be complicated. And, my friends, it doesn’t have to be.
When you remove excess baggage and focus on the most leveraged marketing activities, the only result can be increased productivity, boosted revenue and a better business.
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