All too often I see the uncanny resemblance between how a company implements their marketing plan and the yo-yo dieting phenomenon.
Any business professional knows that a strategic marketing plan that is actively engaged is ideal, yet many times a company inadvertently finds themselves following a “stop-start” mentality with it. During busy times key marketing initiatives may seem optional so:
- Networking meetings are missed
- Facebook posts become sporadic
- Weekly newsletters become monthly or quarterly
- Website updates are skipped
- LinkedIn connections are not made
Eventually there comes a time when things start to slow down. The running between appointments becomes a casual stroll, until we find ourselves at a stand-still. It’s at this point that those key marketing initiatives are engaged once again in order to re-start that busy time.
To me, this sounds like a yo-yo diet, but it’s yo-yo marketing instead. With yo-yo dieting we find that initially the extra weight is lost, but once we get lax with our dieting efforts it returns again and then some. A yo-yo marketing mentality reacts the same way. Revenue goals may be met for a month or two because that pipeline of prospects is full, but because we don’t dedicate time to our marketing efforts the revenue begins to dwindle. Before we know it we are back where we started, looking for ways to fill our pipeline, only this time needing to double our efforts to re-build the momentum.
Maintaining our ideal weight means adhering to a certain lifestyle. There can be no yo-yo dieting. Your marketing plan should be viewed in the same way, a work-style that must be adhered to in order for your business to be consistently successful. When that is accomplished, it becomes much easier to keep the pipeline filled, the phones ringing, and referrals occurring.
End the “stop and go” mentality in your business. Implement and maintain a solid marketing plan. Start today.
Keep it perpetual.