Marketing communications: Making sense of the maze of options (and why it's important to build strong foundations)

Navigating today's marketing communications landscape can be a nightmare for those who operate professionally in the arena, let alone if you're a business owner who has plenty of competing priorities to keep your mind occupied.

So many strategies, tactics, apps, tools, platforms, opinions and motherhood statements with origins going back to simpler times - it's enough to make your head spin!

Oh, and let's not forget wave after wave of opportunistic folks spruiking the latest hack and formula - they look good, they sound convincing, but is what they're offering right for your personal brand and business? 🧐

It's little wonder solopreneurs and business owners throw their hands in the air and do nothing.

Just as bad, they do their homework, often researching the myriad tactics on offer, but without a strategic plan in their back pocket.

This can end in tears for business owners who take this route; they either (a) come down with a severe bout of 'analysis paralysis', or (b) they take tentative steps down a marketing communications path that's potentially wrong for their brand and their business because there is no strategic forethought. Gah!

Go wide first, then shift focus …

I'm a massive believer in going wide first to try and understand the big picture, and then armed with a plan, draw your focus back in on those tactics that make sense for your business and what it is you're setting out to achieve.

Developing your own philosophy around marketing and communications is all part of the plan: this way, you do what's right for your brand and shut out the rest of the noise.

By way of example, my philosophy is to build a strong foundation for your marketing communications using public relations, or to be more precise in this instance, activities under the banners of owned media, social media and earned media that help deepen the level of connection, affinity and trust you have with your prospective clients and customers (and the people who influence them).

PR, to me, does the heavy lifting for paid media and your more overt marketing and promotional activity.

Some reputable founders and solopreneurs don't need to market their business all that hard because they’ve invested time and effort into building solid foundations for their brand communications.

Indeed, sometimes this is sufficient in helping them grow at a steady but sustainable clip.

Other businesses, however, in order to grow and scale, might need to invest in paid-for advertising tactics to fast-track their sales momentum.

It really comes down to your goals and your resources, budgetary or otherwise.

Introducing the 'Marketing Communications Pyramid'

To help my coaching and mentoring clients better understand the landscape, I’ve created what I call my Marketing Communications Pyramid (see below), which shows not just the full gamut of marcomms, but also where PR-related activity fits in the overall scheme of things.

The foundations of the marketing communications pyramid comprise strategic activities that fall under the banners of owned media, social media, and earned media.

Importantly, the tactics used across owned/social/earned media should be integrated to ensure a consistent and cohesive presence for your brand.

This in turn will help you build (a) recognition for your personal/business brand, (b) resonance for your story and your message, (c) relationships with key 'publics' ... plus grow and maintain (d) relevance and reputation in the marketplace.

This is how I would approach it:

Owned media comes first. These are media channels controlled by you. THINK: Blogs, podcasts, email newsletters and YouTube videos (you don't control YouTube, of course, but the videos can be embedded on your blog, for instance, a channel that you're the boss of). Events, webinars and private online communities also constitute owned media.

• TIP - Personally, I’d pick one modality first, one you’re comfortable and confident with i.e. video, audio, or written word. Concentrate on building one key owned media channel first before spreading your efforts.

Social media sits in lock-step with owned media. This includes platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter/X, TikTok, Instagram, Reddit and Facebook; social channels can be effective for distributing your content and amplifying your thinking (insights and ideas), and importantly, engaging with audiences. Key thing to remember here is that social media without the 'social' is just 'media' - interaction and engagement with others on the platforms is the key to social media success!

• TIP - Personally, I’d pick one primary social channel first (if you’re in B2B, this would probably be LinkedIn, for example), and then experiment and have a bit of fun with a secondary platform. For many years, my one-two punch was LinkedIn and Twitter, but with all the decline of the latter, I’m probably more predisposed to Instagram these days.

Earned media involves gaining coverage via independent third-party media outlets. THINK: Editorial exposure in traditional media outlets (newspapers, magazines, TV and radio) plus other people’s podcasts, blogs and online publications, email newsletters and YouTube channels. The definition of media has changed irrevocably in recent years and we now have heaps of media properties - large, small and micro- to choose from.

And let’s not forget public speaking. The stage is the media, and if you’re invited to speak at an industry conference or community meetup, you’ve earned that right.

• TIP - Personally, I wouldn’t proactively venture down the earned media path until I had my owned and social media channels established and humming; reason being, journalists, editors, producers and podcasters will check out your bona fides before committing to interviewing you or covering your story - make sure you come across as a credible authority in the first place! Oh, but if someone from the media does come calling - a podcaster who wants to interview you, for instance - say yes if it ‘hits the mark’ for you. Don’t be too concerned about audience size, just embrace the opportunity!

Moving up the pyramid we have partner media - this is when we leverage other people’s events or properties through sponsorships and partnerships. I include community organisations and social causes in this ‘bucket’ as well.

Partnering with third-party organisations or a sports or entertainment (or industry) property, for instance, can be a terrific way to reach new targeted audiences and build recognition and affinity for your personal or business brand.

Often these initiatives require an investment of money, but if you have built a decent media platform and you have a relationship with a grassroots social cause, for example, then maybe you can enter into a relationship with no money down. In this instance, you might help the cause increase its profile (that’s what’s in it for them) while your business receives a ‘halo effect’ from being involved with the cause itself (that’s what’s in it for you) #QuidProQuoClarice

Paid media comes next - what it says on the tin is what’s in the tin! This includes both traditional advertising (TV, radio, press, industry directories and trade journals etc) and digital (social ads via Facebook, Instagram, TikTok etc).

Some popular email newsletters and podcasts also accept ads and sponsorships; these can be a terrific way to reach engaged niche audiences for a modest investment. There might be an opportunity for your business in this space.

Ditto social ads, which can in the right situations represent value for money for business owners with smaller budgets (I know some credible operators who use social ads to amplify their owned media efforts - this is when integration of your various tactics becomes super-important).

Also, I’d put paid-for influencer marketing in this ‘bucket'; this is when you pay an individual (influencer) to create and share content about your brand on their platform. N.B. 'non-paid' influencer relations sits in earned media.

And sitting atop the pyramid is direct communications. THINK: high-touch personal emails and phone calls (including cold calling), LinkedIn connection-and-messaging programs, Instagram DMs, face-to-face meetings and boardroom/Zoom presentations with key individuals.

So, where to from here?

As alluded to above, I’d start by establishing a solid owned media platform, and then incorporate two social media channels into the mix; these would represent my organic content and engagement efforts.

From there, if my goal was to build a credible authority brand, I would begin scoping out some earned media opportunities, starting small and then working up from there. I call this my Rolling Thunder Strategy - you can read more about it here.

Remember: It takes time, effort and planning to build up a solid media profile in a way that’s strategic and sustainable - establish your owned media and social media foundations first, and then approach your earned media activities with a longer term view (versus a short-burst campaign attitude).

Do you have ambitious growth goals?

Partner media and paid media are going to require a budget; if you have ambitious growth goals and need to amplify your message and ramp up your promotional calls-to-action, then this takes you into a marketing (versus PR) realm.

For example, when you’re spending money on ads, you want them to deliver an action that more directly leads to a commercial outcome.

This might be to get people to click through to your website and buy from your online store, or potential clients to reach out and book a ‘discovery session’ with you, or encourage prospective customers to provide an email address in exchange for an ebook or special report (so you can further communicate with them via email) - these are all good examples of conversion-based activities.

For many businesses, sponsorships and partnerships work best when approached with a PR mindset - that is, use the association with another brand (or cause or organisation) to build connection, affinity and trust with their audience.

Promotional activities can then be created and leveraged off the back of that association, if and when it makes sense to do so.

Remember: Not all strategies will be right for every business; that's why developing your own philosophy (for content and social media, and marketing communications more broadly) is crucial for success in this landscape filled with abundant tools, tactics, and opinions.

Understand why you’re doing what you’re doing, and work up from there!

Good luck!

TY

In case we haven’t met yet …

Hi, I’m Trevor. I help purpose-led business owners become clear and confident in how they leverage PR, content and digital communications for profit, impact and legacy.

Would you like to discuss how I can help you in a coaching capacity to build your profile and reputation as a trusted and credible expert or thought leader in your industry?  CLICK HERE TO BOOK A NO-OBLIGATION 30-MINUTE ZOOM CALL