Four things that don't matter in marketing

There are a lot of things that go into a successful marketing campaign, but four things in particular don't matter as much as you might think. Here's a look at what they are:

1. The color of your logo

Yes, color has a psychological element to it. The right color can set the tone or the mood of someone’s first impression of your brand. Yes, consistent use of color can unify the consumer’s experience across the life of that consumer’s interaction with your brand. That impact is at best minimal and at worst superficial if you don’t have the important aspects of your marketing grounded in reality first. The color (and even design) of your logo is the necklace or tie you put on your brand. If clothed in dirty burlap or your clothes are mismatched and threadbare… who cares?

2. Your company's name

Pretend you know nothing about popular culture for the last 75 years. With no context, tell me what companies / products named McDonald’s, Apple, Google, ReMax, Fortnite and the Atlanta Falcons do. No one cares about your name until they care about your product or service. Not one cares about your product or service until it’s crystal clear that you can change some aspect of their life for the better. The sole responsibility your name has is to be easily implanted in the consumer’s memory. So short or rhythmic or visually concrete should cover it. Beyond that, there’s nothing magical in the right name. The magic is imbued by the amazing experience your product or service provides.

3. How many followers you have on social media

Frequency and reach only matter if you’re reaching the right people with the right message. If you only had 100 followers, but they are all willing to spend $1000 a year with you, then your audience is worth $100,000 per year. If you have a million followers, but only .01% of them are willing to give you $100, your audience is only worth $10,000. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather have the audience of 100. Vanity metrics are b.s. Identify the 20% of customers who generate 80% of your revenue (chances are those percentages are pretty darn close) and create content designed to attract more people like them.

4. What your competition is up to

First, you have no way of knowing what kind of results your competitor’s public-facing marketing campaigns are pulling. Second, if you’re focused on your competitor, you’re not running a business, you’re playing a game… and you’re on the defensive. Sure, you don’t exist in a vacuum. But if you focus on delivering a consistently amazing experience to your customer over and over and over, and them make it easy for them to let others know about it, nothing your competition can do can touch you. The only exception here is if you’re talking to their customers about where their experience fell short, adding features to provide a better experience, and then advertising the “better” experience.

What Really Matters In Your Marketing

Meeting your prospects where they are. Understanding what they care about. Creating relevant, engaging content. Building relationships with customers and potential customers. Focusing on your own business and pushing it forward.

These are the things that matter most when it comes to marketing, and if you focus on them, you're sure to see results. So don't worry about the things that don't really matter – focus on what does, and your business will be successful in no time.