1. Get users.
2. Promote service.
3. Get more users.
5. Say hi to even more users
6. Build (or inspire) new ways for users to…use. and use. and use.
7. Be unavailable…all. the. freakin. time.
8. Live happily ever after.
Waaaaaait a second….that can’t be right….
This is truly genius.
So is this. Yes, that’s me talking to you Toronto wind. Uh-huh.
And THIS. (Actually, I already have this, but figured it deserved a shout-out because I love it so friggin much.)
Basically, what I’m trying to say is that I *love* the Spoon Sisters website and 80% of what they stock. Come on, peole - they have an entire section called “Spoon Related“.
I am also pouting over the ridiculous cost it would take to ship everything I’m dying for across the border to Toronto. BOO.
Anyone want the complete, Rachel-wish-list?
]Oooooh how we loathe these words. “Could you make this pretty?” “Just…pretty it up?” Marketing being equated to on-call graphic design janitor is a disaster…for all involved.
Sure, most of us tend to be pretty reasonable at it. Slide deck magic can be a regular request. Gimme that, I’ll make sure you have the correct typeface/colors/logo on every slide.
But as MarketingProfs’ Laura Patterson points out, that’s not everything. And it certainly isn’t where Marketing is going to have the greatest impact. Sure, your communications guru is going to breathe easier tonight knowing that Helvetica Neue instead of Helvetica showed up on Slide #16. But…are you really getting the most out of your marketing department then? Yeeeeeeeah…no.
Marketing is about…customers.
Yes, marketing is about promotions. But it’s also about…metrics. Follow-up.
Marketing is about strategy.
Marketing is a lot more listening than talking.
Marketing is successful when the sales team pats you on the back instead of giving you the stink eye.
It’s about not being afraid to fail and take risks with your writing, ideas, designs - but also being receptive to feedback, and flexible enough to iterate until you’ve really got it.
The “make it pretty” part? We do that because (hopefully) we just really like it. And appreciate documents and presentations that represent the company to it’s fullest. But if you limit your marketing department if you think this is all they can do. If you’ve brought the right people on board, they should be passionate about your space (or at least hungry to learn everything they possibly can so they live and breathe it anyway) and an important voice for the overall business.
We don’t proclaim to know everything, but we’re more than just the fairies of “pretty”.
Ahh, the impulse publish…as soon as I hit the button my brain flipped in the other direction - so what can a marketing professional do to get more than just “pretty” tasks?
Okay - done now. For reals.
Over the past week and a half, I’ve been describing the b5 offices to curious friends and family. Well, this week we’re lucky to have Tris and CJ in town, and Tris happens to be a stellar photog - sooooo, it’s no surprise that some wicked photos from around the office and last nights festivities are now available. Oh, and below is me - working hard at my desk (hah! digital proof!).
Oh how wonderful the advent of the digital camera really is. In years past hundreds of rolls of film were used up taking thousands of equestrian photos…most of which ended up being forgettable, mostly because something about them (lighting, stride moment, a funny rider face, among other reasons) went awry.
Now I can snap photos all day long, even with a camera lacking much in the way of useful action features, and still end up with a few I like. They may not be picture perfect or worthy of the cover of a magazine, but with digital my re-learning curve of horse photography finer points (like that there’s about a millisecond for each gait that looks good in a photo) was pretty encouraging. Here’s hoping I get more chances for the same this summer…though preferably with more accommodating lighting.
Much thanks to Julie Watchorn and her lovely cavalry for letting me infiltrate their arena and indulge myself in it all.
