There are innumerable options screaming for your time and money. How do you choose?
By Roy Harryman • Principal, Roy Harryman Marketing Communications
In “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” the ancient protector of the Holy Grail instructed Jones & Co.: “Choose wisely, for while the true Grail will bring you life, the false Grail will take it from you.”
How does this apply to marketing? In some ways it doesn’t: There’s not only one right choice. (Nor does it mean you will immediately turn dust as the wrong-guessing adventurer did in the movie.)
But your choices do matter. Specifically in terms of whether your marketing is built to last.
Quick burn vs. long churn
Nearly every form of marketing has some value. The question is, what will be most valuable for you?
For simplicity, I’ll divide these into two categories: Quick burn (think firecracker) vs. long churn (think of making butter).
A direct mail postcard is like a firecracker. You may get immediate results: phone calls, store visits, website visits. That’s good! But if your entire budget is consumed, you’re likely to have mixed feelings. Other “quick burn” examples are social media posts and traditional advertising, which have a finite life. Social posts are promoted as long as the social media company’s algorithm determines or until your budget expires. Traditional ads run until your contract expires.
The “long churn” approach puts the investment on the creation side of marketing. For example, instead of paying for the printing and distribution of a postcard, you could spend it on the creation of a quality video. While the memory of the postcard will vanish from the earth in a few days, the video will continue to plod along and draw viewers and prospects. How? It’s a matter of ownership. You own the video and can do what you want with it. The same production can appear on:
Your website
All of your social media channels (upload it as many times as you want)
An email promotion
YouTube, Vimeo and other video hosting sites
In addition, when videos are properly described and tagged, they will draw viewers interested in your topic for years to come. I’ve been involved in video creation for years and it still surprises me to find content customers created eons ago that is still hosted, posted and drawing viewers.
Pro tip: The more specific your video is, the more it’s likely to stand out from the crowd.
Here’s a real example based on a Google query, “How to replace a fuel pump”:
“How to replace a fuel pump” = 91 million results in a Google Search
“How to replace a Ford fuel pump” = 30 million results
“How to replace a John Deere tractor fuel pump” = 15.9 million results
“How to replace a Vespa scooter fuel pump” = 10.1 million results
“How to replace a corvette stingray fuel pump” = 4 million results
“How to replace a corvette stingray 1982 fuel pump” = 1.6 million results
“How to replace a GigaByke Groove Motorized Electric Moped fuel pump” = 633,000 results
I could keep going, but I think you see the point. The final query generated 99% fewer returns than the first. You want to be where people can find you. If you are in the “how to” business, create videos that scratch a specific itch and fill a specific niche. If you try play king of the mountain on a hill of 91 million views, you won’t gain much elevation.
So, let’s compare: A direct mail campaign to even a small city (let’s say 20,000 households) could easily cost more than $10,000. And then it’s gone. If you invest $10,000 in a video, it’s yours forever. You can keep using it any way you want for as long as you want.
But wait … there’s more!
If you plan wisely (remember the Holy Grain warning here), you can maximize your experience with your videographer. She’s going to film more than she needs. So have her create three versions: long, medium and short. Your videographer (even if that means you) wont’ have to spend any extra time filming or staging your project. It will simply mean some extra work in production after the fact. Now you have three long churn assets that are yours forever.
Beyond video
Video is not the only long-term marketing investment. You may not need or want video. However, a your website is a potent long churn investment. It’s the digital home base of your business. In fact, depending on your business, it may be your business. In that case, your site is a make-or-break marketing tool.
“It’s hard to think of a more sound investment than a quality, well-planned, well-maintained website. ”
Why is this true?
Your website (if you create it right) will cause prospects and customers to discover (and rediscover) you on the Internet.
You can control 100% of your content.
You can load all of your videos, photos, blog posts and more.
There are few limits to what you can accomplish in terms of technology and media.
It serves as a springboard to connect people to your email newsletter and social media, giving them further exposure to your brand.
You can sell your stuff or services, book appointments, chat live and post customer comments.
Those are the positives. The “negative” reasons are that, while you own and control your website, you absolutely do not own or control social media. Your account can be hacked, disabled or disappeared at any time. And yes, I’ve seen all of these things happen. In addition, when it happens, social media companies are almost always unreachable, unresponsive and unreliable. Don’t build your castle on sand.
Other long churn media include:
White papers
Blogging
Podcasts
Photo galleries
Ebooks, Kindle books or paperback books
These media tools have unlimited lifespans and are on the web promoting you day and night. Once you create them, or pay someone to create them, they keep on working round the clock to connect you with prospects and customers.
Maintain flexibility
My recommendation of long churn marketing is a general principle about your overall strategy. It’s not intended to discourage direct mail, paid social media or other forms of firecracker advertising. Sometimes promotions are seasonal – or one day only. If that’s the case, you have to get the word out – and now! Just keep in mind you have finite resources, so saying “yes” to one tactic means saying “no” to another.
And remember the words of the Grail Knight: “Choose wisely.” Or your budget will turn to dust.
Roy Harryman, principal of Roy Harryman Marketing Communications, is a true believer is creating marketing tools with a long shelf life.