At Be Uniic, we’ve advised clients that are firm on one approach to their marketing. They’re dead set on making one thing work – be it ABM, Email Marketing, SEO, or PPC. Their dedication is something we can all say is admirable, however, it leads to them focusing their limited resources (keep in mind we work with startups) on one tactic that never really works. Unfortunately, this approach is a double-edged sword that hurts the founder in the long term.
We’ve done it in the past. We take one small channel/tactic and we run with it. The negative, or the eventual drawback, is that we don’t evaluate the possible options and risk missing out on the most effective channels of growth. For example, SEO works, ABM works, PPC works, Partner Networks work. All of them can be effective, but there has to be a definitive answer when you’re asked “How would you make X work?” or you should just rewrite the question to be “What is the best use of my money and time to drive the most growth to my pipeline and bottom line?”
That right there is one of the issues that occurs before we even get to the wasteful spending and time allocation. Companies say “How to make X work?” and in reality that just assumes that the tactic is already contemplated and chosen to be the best channel. As mentioned, ask which channel is the best course of action. This reframing allows there to be a focus on the solution of solving a problem, not just running with something because you’re married to it.
If you’re looking to get out of the rut of being a single-tactic driven individual running a company, focus on these steps:
You have to change your mindset once in a while. If you’re one of those “my way or the highway” people, you’ll never have the mindset of a true business leader. Not only that, but shifting the mindset will allow you to gain broader support from across your business by demonstrating a thoughtful, data-driven approach to your new decision-making. You move from being seen as someone who pushes a specific agenda to a leader who is focused on achieving the best outcomes for the company.
Yes, focusing on one tactic can work and it shows pure dedication and focus, however, it can also limit your potential for growth. If you don’t consider the more channels that might do you better, you will have a ton of pitfalls along the way. By reframing the problem from how to make whatever channel work to actually thinking about which channel is best, you can ensure your company has the right use of resources to help scale.