 Marketing and advertising – they’re two terms used almost as interchangeably as marketing and branding. But, just as there is a difference between the latter set of functions, there is also disparity between the first. Marketing and advertising are not the same. And, having a clear understanding of their differences can help you bring in more business. That’s because each serves a different and deliberate purpose and when appropriately executed, the two work together to help increase sales and achieve other goals. Understanding the difference is key to achieving goals. Examining the definitions of marketing and advertising is a key step to understanding their differences so that you can appropriately execute. So, here are the definitions: Marketing: Helps drive sales through activities and processes that promote your brand to reach and engage customers. Communicates value to keep your brand and products top-of-mind among the people that you want to do business with. Advertising: Helps promote the sale of an offering (product, service, event or anything else that can be purchased) by bringing it to the public’s attention, usually through paid announcements. At first glance, their definitions may appear very similar. But, they’re actually quite different. Marketing and advertising share a common objective of driving sales; however, the purpose and objectives of marketing are more than just that. Marketing also promotes the value of your brand in a way that advertising does not do to the same degree. Marketing uses advertising to help extend its reach and initiate sales quicker. I like to think of advertising as marketing’s “power-up”. However, in order to sustain the “power-up”, advertising needs to support and work in conjunction with the rest of marketing.
The marketing plan should be used to guide advertising. A good marketing plan contains key components that should be used to guide the advertising. These components include target audience, company mission, value proposition, situational analysis, marketing strategy and budget.
Unfavorable results are a common outcome of advertising that’s not led by marketing. Advertising that is not driven by a marketing plan usually produces unfavorable results. Unfortunately, this happens more often than it should. EXAMPLE 1: Scenario A plumbing company with no true marketing plan spends most of its marketing budget on paid ads through Facebook. This company generates minimal fan page likes, no new traffic to its website and no increase in sales. Solution Assuming that the target audience is local residents with impromptu plumbing needs, it may make more sense for the plumbing company to invest in marketing that will drive potential in-market customers to their website. SEO, Yelp and Google Business are areas that could produce better results. EXAMPLE 2: Scenario A B2B company spent advertising dollars on generating social media likes and followers. The ad campaign did achieve its initial goals; however, once the ads ended so did the growth of their social channels. Solution In addition to running social ads, the company should invest in strong, ongoing content that’s posted on the social channels. This content should include strong CTAs to increase website traffic, leads and sales. Good content will also help the company continue to grow its social channels through shares and other engagement. EXAMPLE 3: Scenario A credit union spent advertising dollars on direct mailers with a “visit our site for more info” CTA. A minimal spike in site traffic occurred; however, it was offset by a high bounce rate. Solution A more specific and compelling CTA could have generated more traffic. To minimize the high bounce rate, the credit union could have directed potential members to a landing page vs. their website’s homepage. There is also opportunity for the credit union to modify its website so that it’s easier for members to find what they’re looking for when they do arrive on the homepage. The same differences apply to the digital world. Digital marketing and digital advertising are used the most interchangeably. But, even in the digital world, there is still a clear distinction between advertising and marketing. And, as demonstrated in some of the examples above, digital advertising needs to be driven and supported by digital marketing.
There is definite value in advertising when it’s directed by a strategic marketing plan. When intertwined with other marketing efforts, advertising can be the component of your marketing that fuels more rapid growth – helping you bring in more business.
To get help with your marketing or advertising, contact Break Ice Marketing.
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 Many business professionals reach a point where they begin to question how effective their marketing really is. Or, sometimes, they already know that their marketing isn’t producing the results that they feel it should, despite the fact that lots of time and money have been spent. Understandably, this realization can generate lots of frustration, which leads to a common question - why isn’t my marketing working?
Below, is a list of five of the most common reasons why an organization’s marketing efforts are not achieving desired results. 1.Marketing is driven by assumptions and “gut feelings” vs. metrics and data. Not long ago, using a marketer’s intuition was the norm for determining how and where to market. Personal opinions drove marketing decisions and results were measured in ways that did not necessarily correlate with the actual marketing. This approach made it nearly impossible to determine the value and effectiveness of marketing efforts. Now, there are numerous tools available that provide essential data for tracking marketing effectiveness and consumer behaviors throughout the sales cycle. Rather than relying on educated guesses, marketers should use available metrics to know with certainty which marketing efforts are and are not working. An analytical marketing approach also allows businesses to spot new opportunities for reaching and engaging with their target audiences. Nearly all organizations, regardless of their size and budget, have access to statistics that provide marketing insights. While there are robust systems available that streamline the reporting of data and provide more detailed intelligence, there are also plenty of free and inexpensive tools available that can be utilized (even by marketing novices) to help drive the best possible marketing. 2.Inconsistent branding is waning marketing effectiveness. While branding and marketing are different, they do need to work together. Inconsistent branding does impact the effectiveness of marketing. Although there is more to branding than the name, logo and design, it can be these areas that start to negatively affect the outcome of the marketing. It is important to ensure that the branding across all marketing channels is the same. Using different logo and name variations is guaranteed to cause confusion – to the extent that consumers may not realize that all marketing is representing the same company or product. The same holds true with product feature and brand story messaging. Marketing with constant, unwavering branding is more credible and memorable - and will produce the best results. 3.The call-to-action is hidden, missing or weak. A missing or weak call-to-action (CTA) represents a huge missed opportunity for leads and sales. All marketing should give your audience a compelling reason to want to act – whether it is to order, sign-up, pick up the phone or visit your site. And, if the goal is to get potential customers to visit your site, you should promise more than just general information. Be more specific on what the CTA is offering. For example, instead of having a CTA that states “for more information”, try using something like “Learn more ways to…“ In addition to being present and strong, the call-to-action also needs to be highly visible – not hidden on the bottom of a web page or flyer. If on a web page, the CTA button should be above the fold (the part of the web page above where you must scroll down to view). 4.Marketing is disjointed vs. integrated. Good marketing uses a variety of channels (email, social media, print, etc.) to reach customers. Just as it’s important to have consistent branding, it is also crucial that the marketing used in the different channels is consistent. All of your marketing should complement and support one another vs. fight against each other. When marketing to the same audience, it can be more effective to run one campaign that uses multiple marketing channels than give each channel its own campaign. For organizations with a marketing team that has staff managing different marketing channels, it is important that everyone is working toward the execution of an integrated marketing plan. A marketing department managed in “silos” can also lead to disjointed marketing. 5.The marketing team is not aligned with other teams within the organization. Organizations that do not have their marketing team aligned with the rest of the internal teams will not reach their full potential for success. The sales and marketing departments are examples of two teams that frequently lack alignment. Marketing, sales and the senior management teams all need to be working toward the same goals at the same time. This goes back to consistency. Having the entire organization aligned to support the efforts of consistent promotions, messaging and follow up are some of the keys to marketing and organizational success. Don’t be discouraged if your marketing is not producing the results that you want. You can change this. Take a step back and compare your marketing situation to the “5 Most Common Mistakes” listed above. Chances are you’ll find your current marketing scenario matching up to at least one of these areas. Once you know what’s not working, you’ll be able to start fixing. For help assessing and repairing your marketing, contact Break Ice Marketing.  We all know that the way consumers research and buy products/services have significantly changed over the past decade. New consumer behaviors have altered the way that businesses must market themselves in order to effectively reach their customers. Traditional marketing (a.k.a. outbound) has been pushed aside with a more targeted, cost effective strategy called inbound marketing. If you’re a marketer or part of a small business wearing multiple hats, you’re likely to be at least somewhat familiar with the term and/or concept of inbound marketing. Its definition is: A set of marketing activities that earn the attention of customers through relevant, engaging and timely content, which make the organization stand out and easy to be found. While the successful execution of inbound marketing is becoming more critical in order to ensure customers are reached before competition, it’s an area that many organizations are still struggling to perfect. For many, this type of marketing is being learned through trial and error since experience and formal education on this topic are minimal. Up until recently, traditional marketing dominated most marketers’ careers and inbound marketing was not a concept taught in school. Fortunately, because inbound marketing has created a lot of hype, there are plenty of books and conferences available for marketing teams to strengthen their knowledge. HubSpot’s annual Inbound Conference generated over 14,000 global attendees just a few months ago. There’s also learning tools specifically for digital marketing and social media. Before investing time and money in these learning tools, it’s helpful to know the basics: Inbound marketing is not the same as digital marketing. Digital marketing is a category of channels (email, social media, web). Inbound marketing is the content and strategy that relies heavily on the digital marketing channels to deliver its content to customers. Inbound marketing uses analytics to customize and adjust content. Marketing analytics help provide insight on how your customers are accessing your content and which materials they’re favoring. This information helps you to continue to improve your inbound marketing. Inbound marketing is not a trend. Inbound marketing is here to stay. As technology continues to advance, there will be new channels that can deliver, but the strategy itself will not go away. If you haven’t already, you need to come up with a plan for creating and executing an inbound marketing strategy.
Unlike traditional marketing, inbound marketing doesn’t interrupt customers. Inbound marketing is not annoying or intrusive. Instead, it’s interesting and informative – providing customers with the information that they’re seeking. It’s there for customers when they want it vs. in their face when they don’t. And, because of these traits, inbound marketing is almost always more effective than traditional marketing.
A lot has changed in the last decade. Inbound marketing has changed the way customers expect to do business with you. It’s also the forecaster for the marketing in the future. The need for providing convenient information to customers will not go away. This will continue to be what helps increase sales and grow your business.
So, if you haven’t already, embrace inbound marketing - and have fun with it. Inbound marketing is here to stay. For help with inbound marketing at your organization, contact Break Ice Marketing.  Recently, The Financial Brand posted survey results that shared some interesting data regarding the anatomy of marketing departments among banks and credit unions. While this survey was given to financial institutions throughout the U.S., I believe that many marketing teams from various industries can relate to several of the stats shared. For example, 70% of the survey respondents chose “lack of people in department” as their biggest marketing challenge in the next year.
The fact that most marketing departments are understaffed does not surprise me. I’ve experienced this myself in the past, and it seems that nearly all marketers and business owners that I speak to vent the same frustration: there’s too much to do and not enough people. It can be aggregating to say the least. Many marketers are expected to do more with fewer people on their team than they had five years ago – and sometimes with less of a budget, as well. And, since quality is just as important as quantity, the demands on short-staffed marketing teams are made even higher. While I admit that these scenarios can present big challenges, experience has taught me that there are ways to increase productivity (and quality) with an understaffed marketing department. Accomplish more without overworking your staff or exceeding budget. Yes, there are times when late days and long hours are required to get the job done; however, I firmly believe that marketing departments that lack people can accomplish more without giving up their work/life balance or going over budget. Review and update job descriptions before filling an open position. This may seem like a given, but time after time, I have seen it happen. A gap is formed from the departure of an employee and management immediately begins recruiting for the open position without giving much thought to the original job description. This is a mistake. Ideally, you should use this opportunity to review the skillsets, workload and job demands of the entire team. At a minimum, evaluate the role of the employee that just left. Organizations grow and evolve. The way you reach your audience compared to how you did a few years ago, may have also changed. When you take the time to review the role and job description, you’ll often find that the skillsets and responsibilities needed are not same as when the role was first created. This is your opportunity to adjust and modify the position so that your new hire will help meet the demands of your department in the best way possible. Hire a marketing consultant/strategist. Contrary to popular belief, the primary role of a marketing consultant is not to tell you what you’re doing wrong or even to replace existing staff. A good marketing consultant or strategist will be able to save your team time and money, and has the expertise and skillset to either be used as an advisor that guides your team, a consultant that provides solutions to challenges or a collaborator that helps complete projects. Essentially, this person should become an extension of your marketing team - think of this individual as a partner vs. an employee or even a typical vendor. You’ll receive the benefit of gaining new, fresh ideas from someone that is able to consider strategies from a different perspective, while you’ll have the flexibility of using that person whenever and for however long is necessary. Many marketing consultants also have a network of other creative professionals that they work with, which can further help fill in the gaps (and save money) for other areas within your department that may also need support. While there are some outsourced costs associated with a marketing consultant, it’s typically less expensive than using a full-service agency or hiring someone (no additional expenses from benefits or taxes). A marketing consultant also provides more cost-savings and high-level expertise than going through a temp agency. Ultimately, the primary benefits of hiring a marketing consultant/strategist is that your team will be able to accomplish more, complete projects faster and improve quality from the increased focus and efficiencies that the outside help provides. Automate, but choose your system wisely. In order to stay ahead of the game and be efficient, automation is needed more than ever. If you have your team do everything manually (emails, social media, tracking, analytics, etc.), you’re going to significantly slow down productivity and make low quality from errors more likely. Luckily, there are several types of marketing automation systems available that automate nearly all of this for you, which vary in capabilities and costs. If your marketing team has been given a budget that allows you to select one of the platforms with all the “bells and whistles”, be certain that your team is ready to execute the majority of features into its marketing before bringing the system in-house. While it can be tempting to move forward with the most elaborate marketing automation platform, you’ll be wasting money if you don’t use the majority its features. Also, make sure that your team has the manpower and skillset to effectively operate the system. If it does not, consider partnering with an outside marketing agency that can help train your staff and manage that area of your marketing for you. More power to be an effective and efficient marketer. Having an understaffed marketing department can seem overwhelming at times, but it also comes with greater flexibility than what a full-staffed marketing team can offer. By using the strategies listed above, you’ll be given greater power to be a more effective and efficient marketer – increasing productivity (and quality). For more information on how your understaffed marketing team can increase productivity and quality, contact Break Ice Marketing. 
A couple of days ago, I took my kids to Disneyland. I was hoping that by taking advantage of my kids’ day off from their school’s in-service day, it’d be less crowded. For extra assurance that we’d get a few hours without the long lines, I booked us a room at a hotel for the night before. My plan was to get to the park shortly after it opened and I didn’t want the morning traffic to slow us down. Luckily, my “strategy” worked. It ended up being a relatively un-busy day and we were able to enjoy the magic that the Disney brand promises.
Whether you’re a huge Disney fan or not, it’s hard to deny that The Walt Disney Company has done many things right when it comes to their branding strategy. Looking at the key elements of a branding strategy, which was shared in Branding vs. Marketing: Knowing the Difference Can Increase your Bottom Line, it is evident that the brands under the Walt Disney’s Park and Resorts business segment have tackled them all, which has helped make Disney the 11th most valuable brand in the world. Disney’s holds true to its mission. “The mission of The Walt Disney Company is to be one of the world's leading producers and providers of entertainment and information. Using our portfolio of brands to differentiate our content, services and consumer products, we seek to develop the most creative, innovative and profitable entertainment experiences and related products in the world." Disney delivers its mission by having a clearly defined company culture with a set of values that do not waver. They hire employees that are committed to innovation, quality, community, storytelling, optimism and decency. I have never experienced a rude employee at Disneyland. And, while I haven’t yet been on a Disney cruise and it has been years since I visited Walt Disney World, I’m sure the same holds true. This is because Disney understands that branding is about creating actual experiences. I was reminded of this a few weeks ago when I visited Disneyland on a Saturday night (yes, we’re Disney pass holders). We got there at 7:30 PM and it was still 91 degrees outside. It was also an extremely busy night. Yet, we only encountered smiling, happy, helpful Disney employees. I was impressed and reminded of what makes Disney different from other family entertainment brands. 
My daughter and I after getting wet on Splash Mountain
(her favorite ride).
Disney consistently delivers features and attributes that differentiate it from competition.
Reliable characteristics of the Disney brand include safe, clean, quality and fun. And, while those may be traits that many brands market, Disney actually delivers it. It’s a reason why so many people visit the parks each year even though they're higher priced than most competition. As of October 2015, a one-day Disneyland ticket for ages 10+ is $99. That’s 25-40% more than other amusement parks. But, Disney’s global recognition and trust keep people going (despite ongoing price increases). What other brands can learn from Disney: 1. Do what you say. Your brand is like a person. If you say you’re going to do something, you better follow through or you won’t be trusted in the future. A branding strategy needs to be marketed and executed. Told and delivered. 2. Value and train your employees. Whether you’re an entrepreneur of a one-person company, a manager that leads a team or a CEO of a multi-billion organization, your brand would not exist if it weren’t for the employees. Set high expectations, but ensure your staff is well trained. Your employees are the ones creating most of the experiences that define your brand. 3. Be consistent. Brand recognition and credibility happen over time - and only after providing consistent experiences. This goes for all aspects that define your brand: visual, personality, features and competitive differentiators. While we can’t all be Disney, we can have successful brands that become recognized and trusted, which lead to growth and customer loyalty. We do this by believing in our brand and delivering on what we promise. Then, others will believe in our brand too. For help developing and executing a winning branding strategy, contact Break Ice Marketing.
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Branding and Marketing are NOT the same.
During a recent business lunch, I was speaking to an executive that has been interviewing candidates for an open Director of Marketing position. Although this role will be responsible for executing strategic marketing, advertising and creative services, a large part of the job is branding. In fact, the first sentence in the job posting states the Director of Marketing will manage the corporate brand. Although several professionals with years of marketing experience have applied for the job, very few candidates have been able to make it beyond the first interview. This is because most people (and marketers) don’t clearly understand the difference between branding and marketing. Fortunately, this company recognizes the importance of hiring a marketer that has a firm grasp of both. The two terms are often used interchangeably, yet branding and marketing are NOT the same. And, if you don’t fully understand the difference, it’s nearly impossible to be effective at both. It’s strong branding with good marketing that makes companies the most successful. Understanding the difference is important. Before examining the differences of branding and marketing, it’s helpful to know the definitions of each: Branding: Attracts and retains loyal customers by consistently reinforcing and delivering a promise that creates memorable experiences. Displays attributes that build a reputation among the people that your brand touches. Marketing: Helps drive sales through activities and processes that promote your brand to reach and engage customers. Communicates value to keep your brand and products top-of-mind among the people that you want to do business with.
As stated above, your branding should always come first. Marketing without branding is a waste of time and money. You’ll confuse your customers and have little credibility. Most people think their company is branding first – they have a name and logo that’s always on the marketing. But, branding is more than just this.
Branding is more than a name, logo and design. While your name, logo and design are an essential component of your branding, they’re meaningless without an executed strategy that connects your brand to your customers in a meaningful way. Many companies that have a branding strategy may market it, but fail to deliver it. In addition to the visual identity, a branding strategy should include all the points below. Execution of the strategy relies on all staff within the organization. While the marketing team may lead the branding, it cannot be the sole executor. - Clearly defined (and delivered) company mission. - Clearly defined (and delivered) benefits/features of products. - Clearly defined (and delivered) attributes of company. - Clearly defined (and delivered) competitive differentiators. When all components of a branding strategy are executed, the name, logo and design will begin to have true meaning. For example, when you see the Apple mark, you think about technology that is innovative and makes life easier. A red and white Coca-Cola can represents a quality drink that is tasty and refreshing. These brands have a reputation of delivering their promises, which led to trust and customer loyalty. Branding guidelines that are enforced throughout the entire organizations helped make these brands strong. Fonts, company attire, email signatures and phone greetings are all a part of leading brand’s executed branding strategies. Marketing is what helps build awareness of your brand. Marketing is a variable group of activities that promote your brand. Unlike your branding that generally remains constant, your marketing will change depending on short-term goals, trends, audiences and other factors. While your customers ultimately own your brand, you control your marketing – making it easier to adjust and modify when necessary. Although branding and marketing are different and separate, they’re both needed and have to work together. For help with your organization’s branding or marketing, contact Break Ice Marketing.
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They’re stubborn, hardheaded or simply not listening.
You know the customers I’m talking about. They’re the ones that no matter how hard you try to engage and interact, they provide you with zero response back. It’s not necessarily that they’re rude (although that may be the case for some), but most of these customers are just busy – and quite frankly, don’t think they have a reason to care about what you have to say. But, you want them to listen and care because if they do, your organization can provide more value to them. And, they will become more loyal customers. So, how do you get them to care? Everyday, your customers are bombarded with information (just like you are) and unless they’re actively seeking whatever product, service or value you’re trying to communicate, they see no reason to listen - or care. But, you can change this. Following the steps below will help you break the ice with these hard to reach customers. Focus on the customers that matter. I’m not saying to not provide good service to all customers. Word-of-mouth and customer reviews are important, so you never want to intentionally upset anyone. But, most likely, you have some single-product or service customers that will never want more from your organization. These may be the group of customers that continuously miss payments or always complain. Remove those types of customers from your targeted marketing lists. Most of the time, they’re costing you more than they’re making for you. Focus your time and money on the customers that matter. Deliver timely and personalized content. Luckily, there are several tools available that help organizations and budgets of all sizes gain data-driven customer insights so that relevant and timely content can be delivered. These tools range from comprehensive marketing automation software such as HubSpot, WordPress plugins and email marketing platforms like MailChimp. These tools help automate and send content that’s important to your individual customers. Use one of these tools to segment your “customers that matter”. Set up triggers so when a customer visits your “xyz” product page, your organization automatically responds with follow-up content. Drive customers that don’t frequently visit online (or at all) to your webpage by sending them content based on their customer profiles. Quick facts: Personalized emails improve CTRs by 14%, and conversion rates by 10%. (Source: Aberdeen Group) Targeted emails drive 18 times more revenue than broadcast emails. (Source: Jupiter Research) 52% of customers stop following a business’ page because of boring and repetitive content (Source: Small Business Can) 
Get to the point quickly.
The attention span of an average person is only 8 seconds and competition for that time is fierce. With information overload coming from a variety of channels, you must have a message that noticeably sets you apart from everything (and everyone) else. Strong visuals help ensure your customers stop to acknowledge. Good, descriptive headlines help them recognize that you’re sharing something they might care about. While creative and catchy can be good, don't lose sight in providing clarity. Within the first few seconds, your customers should have a pretty accurate idea of what you're trying to say and "what's in it for them". If not, you’re at high risk of losing the opportunity to break the ice before your customer moves on to something else – possibly your competition. Quick facts: Only 20% of consumers read beyond the headline. (Source: Copyblogger) 83% of human learning is visual. (Source: NewCred) 93% of people say that visual imagery is the # 1 factor impacting purchasing decisions. (Source: NewCred) 90% of consumers find branded content useful. (Source: Custom Content Council) 
Break the ice (and walls) for lasting relationships. We've all experienced those moments of feeling like you've hit a brick wall when you don't hear back. Sending your customers on-target, personalized content will help break the ice, but you also need to make sure your company is accessible and easy to find in order to keep the walls down. This will transform your hard to reach customers into loyal, long-term relationships. Give them a reason to respond. Don't send any message without a convincing reason to respond because if you do, it's likely to be ignored or forgotten. Having your contact information on whatever you're sending is good - but not good enough. Why should your customers contact you if they've been given no compelling reason to do so? Special offers, a free introduction, watch a video demo, download an e-book, learn how to (insert blog article title or topic) are all more effective than “contact us for more information”. Ultimately, you want customers to respond by going to your website. Because once they’re at your site, you have more opportunities to provide desirable content that shows how your organization can help them. Be mobile accessible. It's a given that every organization that wants to appear credible, has any kind of business development goals and wants to reach more if its customers, needs to have a website. But, nowadays, just having a website is not enough. You need to have the right kind of website - one that is engaging, informative and just as importantly, mobile responsive. Almost half of all websites are not mobile responsive. Those that are, provide their customers with better user experiences and customer loyalty. According to Google's Mobile Playbook, 57% of users say they won't recommend a business with a poorly designed mobile site. What's more, mobile responsiveness impacts a website's ranking signal since Google make a change to its search algorithms earlier this year. To be considered mobile-friendly, the website's text has to be readable without zooming and there should be no unplayable content or horizontal scrolling. Simply stated, the website needs to be easily viewed from a mobile device. You can check the mobile friendliness of your site through Google's Mobile-Friendly Test Tool. If your site is not mobile-friendly, you may want to consider moving it up on your priority list. It's an important step in breaking the ice with hard to reach customers. Quick facts: 80% of Internet users own a smartphone. (Source: GlobalWebindex) 81% of users report reading email on mobile devices (Source: HubSpot) 
Navigate your customers back to where they belong - your business. Ultimately, your customers are in the driver’s seat – they control your brand and the business you get. Many times, they make decisions that impact your business before you are able to break the ice. As a result, statements such as “I didn’t know they had that” or “could do that” are commonly voiced when it’s too late. Breaking the ice with hard to reach customers can be a challenge. But, you can change this. By following the steps above, you will navigate your customers back to where they belong – to your brand and business. Train your customers to think of your organization first. Instead of chasing them, have them come to you. And, delight them with the experience that they’re looking for when they do. Need more advice on how to break ice with your customers? Click here to get help in turning your hard to reach customers into loyal, long-term relationships that make your business more profitable.
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