We all go through highs and lows. In the marketing world, these lows exist in the form of churned customers, an angry c-suite, and a general lack of inspiration and confidence in what you're doing. When you've found yourself in a low point, it's important to act quickly to change things around. Negativity in the workplace can snowball and end up crushing entire teams beneath its weight. Here are 4 tips on getting out of a marketing rut and getting back on your feet.
1 // Hey, snap out of it!
Your mood is important in any job, but it's important in marketing. As a marketer, you are the visionary, you're the one crafting and sending out campaigns, and you are the voice of the company. Marketers need to be bold, confident, and charismatic, and this is a hard thing to achieve when you're feeling insecure and down. If your campaign failed or your churn rate went up, don't let it wig you out too much – you can't afford it. Instead, look at any mistake you make as data collection that is helping you gather experience for what works and what doesn't. Write a blog post about your failed attempt and put it out there as a learning experience for others. Make a detailed report about what went wrong and present your findings to the c-suite with a new and improved plan for next month. Send out surveys and share the findings with your team. Do everything you can to empower yourself and gain back your sense of control because without it nothing will improve.
2 // Don't start from scratch
Sometimes when things don't work out or we are feeling frustrated there is a temptation to start over from scratch. Often this leads to a lot of wasted energy and knowledge. If a marketing campaign failed, it’s probably NOT because it was 100% garbage (if it was, then you have other problems). It might have been a great campaign with one important error that prevented your message from being properly received. Taking the time to figure out what that error is will be the job of your team, and it's an important thing to do. But throwing out your entire strategy and deciding that you need to start over will just unsettle you even more, and will lead you to make big, new mistakes with your next strategy. Analyze, tweak, and try again. Marketing is a journey, an experiment, and an investment all wrapped up into one. Not only that, but the smallest details can have huge impacts on results. Be patient and don't lose faith.
3 // Get help
The best thing you can do when you're in a rut is get outside help. Whether it be a colleague, a favorite industry blogger, or a friend. Seek inspiration and advice from someone who knows the industry and who can offer a fresh perspective. The help should be practical, so make sure that the person is informed on the topic that you're dealing with, but it should also be psychological. Find someone who is supportive and who will make you feel less alone as you deal with the challenges you are facing. Remembering that we are not alone, especially when we are in a management position and have a lot of responsibility resting on our shoulders, can be extremely important in getting back on track.
4 // Find your original voice
The marketing industry is so full of "tips and tricks", and so-called “experts” it can be easy to get sucked in by the number of people out there offering their “advice”. When you feel like things aren't going well for your brand, sometimes this means that you've gotten off track from your brand's original, authentic message. Take a break from trying new tactics you have studied or trying to copy successful strategies that others have implemented and take some time to reflect on the basics: What it is your company offering? Who are they offering it to? Why was the product or service created? How will it transform your customer into something better than who they were before they met you? These basic questions are the backbone of every marketing campaign you send out, so make sure that every campaign is aligned with them.
It's OK To Fail
Hey, we can’t always walk around with a smile, high-fiving everyone in the office. It can be hard to shake a bad outcome or experience. Learn from your mistakes, put on a brave face, and try again. That’s all anyone can ask.
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