Is Your Marketing Very Vanilla? Mix it Up!

Not to knock my favorite flavor, but the fact of the matter is that I also consider it my 'default flavor.' When I don't feel like taking a risk on a more exotic concoction, I turn to vanilla to avoid disappointment. 

This 'default' setting can impact our marketing efforts as well. It may seem easy to decide on a certain marketing tactic because it has shown success in the past; or perhaps it is the only one that you are really familiar with. This 'vanilla' mentality, however, can be damaging to your long-term marketing plan. It is extremely important to experiment with a variety of marketing methods and tactics, even if they are not the most 'exotic' ones on the menu.

Your decision to try even a few simple tactics that are new to your company could prove to be just what is needed to rev up your marketing plan. If you do decide to try something new, be sure and do some preliminary research. This will help ensure that you are getting the most out of your efforts and marketing dollars. Here are a few tips to get you started:

• When you are ready to try a new marketing tactic, start out by doing some basic research online if you don't have a trusted resource to consult. You can find a wide variety of resources on the internet to help you learn about new campaign ideas.
• A specific area to research would be the industry best practices that are associated with the tactic(s) that you are considering. All marketing tactics (ie. direct mail, eBlasts, websites, SEO, lead generation, etc.) have their own unique benefits and drawbacks. Researching industry best practices for your tactic will help you maximize your investment.
• If you are experimenting with a new approach, it is okay to keep it simple and just try one tactic at a time to see how it will benefit your company. If you want to try more than one tactic at once, consider implementing an integrated campaign to keep things streamlined.

However you go about it, you can't go wrong when you step outside of your 'vanilla' marketing and try a few of the exciting flavors that are on the marketing menu today!

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