Marketing

Behind The Action

Brandon T. Adams is an ambitious leader who tells stories with video. BTA is also an author, investor, speaker, and advisor who uses his experience to accelerate fellow founders. Join us for this VIP conversation on how to earn your way onto cap tables, building an audience that cares, all that is Rise and Record, the value of masterminds, his first video, pro tips for content creation, and what to do when you’re with Kevin Harrington and your private jet lands in the wrong country.

To celebrate the 10th episode of YDNTP, we collaborated with BTA to bring you into our studio! Along with listening to this show anywhere you enjoy podcasts, below is a special video of our time together. Enjoy!

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By Ben McDougal, ago

No Running

“Please walk.” <wait 5 seconds>
“Please walk!” <repeat endlessly>

At the swimming pool, how many times does a lifeguard remind children to walk and why is it so hard for kids to slow down, even when they’ve slipped in the past? Let’s write through why repetitive reminders may be needed to motivate awareness, action, and steadfastness.

The first thing that comes to mind, is how hard it is to get anyone to do anything. Motion requires force, we don’t know what we don’t know, and if action calls for commitment (time, obedience, money, etc.), movement is even harder to inspire.

When we think through the lens of marketing and sales, an easy start is clarity. Does messaging and calls to action immediately resonate with your smallest viable audience?

When it’s time for action, sequencing comes to mind. Conciseness allows first impressions to be more impactful, with connected content to guide newcomers toward more natural action(s).

Lastly, I wish repetition wasn’t a part of the equation, but it’s loud out there! Attention is hard to earn and even harder to maintain. Endless reminders can be annoying, but systems thinking and a strategic cadence ensure more positive encounters supported by lasting clarity. Thoughtful repetition also catches fresh awareness along the way.

Along with helping to connect with an audience, these motivators are important for anything that involves rotating participation as well. Succession can bring healthy revitalization to teams, organizations, and communities, but without clarity, fresh energy can be misguided. If information is not sequenced, the weight of too much information may feel unnecessarily daunting and once again, friendly reminders maintain momentum without a slip or fall.

By Ben McDougal, ago

Captive

I was catching a quick nap on a recent flight.

All the sudden, our flight attendant broke the peaceful silence. Not to share a friendly update for passengers, but to rattle off a forced sales pitch for their branded credit card. Ouch.

Extra Shot

Attention is hard to earn.
If you have it, don’t waste it.

Now, let’s imagine an alternate scenario. Instead of an unwanted interruption followed by an impersonal script that makes most think less of the brand treating us like prisoners instead of customers, what if the same offer felt more like a gift? Like a special surprise? Something that makes you feel appreciated!

For example, how would you feel if you were told that you were selected to receive a free adult beverage or tasty snack, paired with the exact same credit card application?

Whether you decided to apply or not, the complementary surprise was just to say thanks for being a valued customer! This personalized presentation would naturally snag the attention of nearby passengers. As word of mouth amplifies interest, similar offers could be made for those willing to complete a credit card application.

That’s just a thought exercise, but we’ve all sat in situations where we were part of a captive audience. Whether by choice or not, there’s a fine line and a big difference between an experience that adds or detracts from an experience after the sale.

How do you treat your existing customers? Do they only get attention when there’s issues or you have more to sell? Perhaps there’s untapped creativity that could inspire more lasting joy by letting go?

To spark fresh creativity, consider a quest to delight customers in unexpected ways. Giveaways (without obligation) are an easy way to see how existing customers may react. Impromptu phone calls, handwritten notes, and basically any gesture that shows you care, will naturally retains better customers as well.

As this thoughtfulness is felt within your customer’s experience, more true fans will stick with your team because they care as much as you do. This translates into customer retention, because true fans take pride in staying connected. They have more patience when issues arise and get excited to share your charming work with others.

Extra Shot

“Once you wow an audience, the same trick may not work anymore.” -Seth Godin, Free Prize Inside

By Ben McDougal, ago

Milestones

Big or small, internal or external, milestones help people identify with progress. They draw lines in the sand. This clarifies goals while supporting short-term accountability and long-term motivation.

Entrepreneurship is a community sport, but creative problem-solvers working to build a business are still competitive. Milestones tap into this competitive spirit by gamifying a performance-based culture. Recognizing milestone achievements can also boost morale and further unite a team. If you’re collaborating with mentors and/or an advisory team, milestones help keep everyone on the same page as well.

As milestones are established, be sensitive to the diversity of your team. Find creative ways to equitably encourage new and more experienced team members. One easy way to do this, is to establish a few tiered categories for different types of milestones. As you diversify milestones, we’re not creating so many that they become pointless. Instead, you’re curating a variety of dynamic signals that can activate different emotions along a connected and sustained timeline.

As milestones are completed, the culture is nourished with celebration, which we’ll sip on next week!

By Ben McDougal, ago

Minerva

The cosmic pursuit to find Pluto is a neat example of how imagination, obsession, and reason align what can be seen. After scientists at the Lowell Observatory finally discovered “Planet X” in 1930, the world weighed in on what to name it. Let’s brew on naming your project.

As discovery releases new realities, a great name established an identity. A name makes a project feel real and allows you to talk about your ideas with others. It also creates an identity to build your marketing around. If you’ve been thinking about your project for a while, a good name may emerge. If you’re struggling, here are three ways to land on something scalable.

1. Be descriptive. If it’s impossible to guess what you’re offering at first glance, you’re taking an early gamble. Hyper specific names may stand out in the moment, but too much definiteness can limit your ability to evolve. Attention is hard to earn, so avoid obscurity, names that may trap you, or anything that makes your business hard to remember.

2. Verify your name is available. It’s tough to set yourself apart while still being easy to remember. As you consider naming a business, get creative, but do your homework before you fall in love. Research existing trademarks, domain names, social media accounts, industry competitors, and funky spellings.

3. Think long-term. To withstand the test of time, consider how this name can support long-term growth. If the trend you’ve based a name around fades, might it make you look outdated? Will highlighting a specific location eliminate the ability to expand? In short, don’t corner yourself unless it’s on purpose.

Once you lock in a name, start using it within customer discovery to explore how it’s received by those you seek to serve. When a name clicks, align your marketing and overall vocabulary around the newly established identity. This will make your company recognizable and over time, connects you to more true fans.

Extra Shot
Pluto was the second choice of scientists who discovered this beloved dwarf planet. Minerva was the team’s favorite, but it was already taken by an existing asteroid.

By Ben McDougal, ago