Have you ever wondered why the Chicago flag looks the way it does? The components of the flag all represent important landmarks or events: the three white stripes signify the North, West, and South sides of the city; the two blue stripes represent Lake Michigan and the Chicago River; the four stars are meant to remember Fort Dearborn, the Great Chicago Fire, the World’s Columbian Exposition, and the Century of Progress Exposition; and even the six points on each star represent distinct values.
Just like the Chicago flag, every element on every flag for a country or state or city signifies something of importance for that place. Nothing is out of place or up there just because it looks nice. A vexillologist, the person who designs flags, takes into consideration various parts, patterns, and colors, along with important historical and cultural events, to create an icon that citizens can identify with. Malcom Farrow, president of the Flag Institute in the United Kingdom, says, “A national flag is extremely important. It identifies a people and tells the story of a whole nation in one small rectangle.”
In a similar way, everything in your marketing plan should mean something to your company. It should be a necessity, either by itself or as a support for a bigger strategy:
- A blog just isn’t a place to wax philosophical on various topics—it’s a way to reach potential, new, and existing customers by educating them on your industry, then your company.
- An email marketing campaign isn’t just to blast out company info—it’s a way to build a connection with your audience that leads them back to your website.
- Your website shouldn’t live in a vacuum—it should educate potential customers on who you are and what you do, encourage new customers to contact you with an order, and allow existing customers to continue to connect with you.
Just like a flag, every piece of your marketing strategy should have a reason for existing. Don’t overload your team with trying to market on social media platforms that don’t cater to your target audience or adding more pay-per-click ads before your website is ready to handle the traffic. Take care to know why and how each element is necessary.
Need an outside perspective to help you determine how you can make the most of your marketing strategy? Our free marketing consultation can tell you where your strengths lie and opportunities exist. Talk to us today!
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