How to get ROI & ROE from your marketing in 2023

Getting attention, building the "right" audience, and turning them into customers has become more of a challenge than ever before for many brands.

This is especially the case because the old playbook isn’t working like it used to.

And it leaves marketers and business owners alike feeling frustrated and depleted - can be a major energy suck.

The ROE (Return-on-Energy) is far too low.

(right at the time when it's critical to conserve and use it wisely because we need it for our personal wellbeing more than ever!)

Case In Point: I recently received this from someone who has been in business for 30 years!!

The good news is there are plenty of things that ARE working……
they are just different to what's been the trend for the last few years!!

And I’m going to share a few of those things today.

But before we get to what IS the solution, let’s look at what ISN’T the solution…..

1. Doing the same as what you always did.

(Using old-school techniques that have past their "best-before" date)

This is especially true when it comes to how you approach list-building, webinars, emails, paid ads, social media marketing and SEO.

ALL of the above ARE still effective but if you're doing them the same way you did a year ago, with similar content and messaging, and it isn't working, don't be surprised. 


2. Hiring someone who knows little about your business to “produce content” in the effort to "get seen"

(a surefire recipe to waste time and money and leave you frustrated)

It's likely to go over like a lead balloon and it won't attract customers (even if it's polished and professional) because when the message isn't emanating the same "vibe" as you do, they'll just tune out. 

"Good content" just isn't enough - these days it needs to be "content with soul" , that emanates from YOU to stand out and attract people to engage with it.
 

3. Doing an assortment of random things, hoping people will just find their way into your world. 

(no elaboration necessary for this one!)

The truth is, I reckon people are tuning out to about 90% of most marketing these days.

So what IS the solution?

Firstly, understand there’s no “magic pill” or “silver bullet”. 
#sorrynotsorry

But, there ARE plenty of things you CAN do.

It starts with changing the way you think.

And accepting that things need to be done differently and that's going to require some experimentation and courage!

The days of being an EXPLORER are here.

A PIONEER in your industry.

As people look to people who will lead and do things differently.

(and when you approach marketing with curiosity and an explorer's mindset it's way more playful and refreshing). 

Here’s where I am encouraging people to focus their efforts right now.

1. Connection over Content

Whaaaat!! I hear you say??? (knowing how I’m such a huge advocate of content).

I've been flying the content flag for years and now it's "all the rage" with people telling you to pump out volumes and this is just leaving people feeling flat and discouraged because volume isn't realistic right now. 

OK - here me out.

I’m not saying “don’t do content” – of course you need to do it if you want to get your message out, but what I am saying is don’t do it at the expense of personal connection.

That’s going to look different depending on what type of business you’re in and how many customers you have (and need).

But most of the organisations and people I work with tend to have some form of personal connection with the majority of their customers.

Whether it’s engaging with people via email, meeting them at events (virtual or otherwise), connecting with them on the phone, genuinely personal DMs (no copy and paste, please!!), or even smail mail (yes, a lost art!) now is the time to be more proactive and creative around how you’re connecting with customers, rather than simply relying on social media and blogs.

Instead, we use content to initiate and then support connection, and think creatively about how to do that. 

So that the content becomes the catalyst for the conversation - which is where the magic happens. 

2. Empathy over Effort

Setting the right "intention" before a piece of content or any marketing initiative is created is supremely powerful. 

And not just from a strategy perspective. But from a deep sense of understanding. 

As Vietnamese Monk Thích Nhất Hạnh famously said:

"Understanding is Love's Other Name"

So true even in marketing right now.

Audiences are so burned out after all we've been through in the last two and a half years - they're absolutely "done" with scarcity, FOMO and pressure based messaging. 

They are craving hope, optimism and quite simply - the need to "feel good" and "feel seen" in the face of a million things trying to get them down.

So if your brand can play that role - you will be one that's remembered.

And yes, even in a recession. 

As belts tighten and people spend less, it's not the time to stop showing up and being visible - instead, be visible and LEAD.

How?

By finding the aspects of the messaging that are both strategic for your business AND deliver a huge dose of encouragement to your audience. 

This way, they will be way more receptive to what you have to say. 

And they might not be ready to buy from you right now, but you'll be the memorable choice when the right time comes. 

3. Synchronicity over Slog

The days of "doing more" are over.

For most of us, we just don't have it in the tank anymore. 

I have always been (and still am) a huge proponent of SYSTEMS.

Having a SIMPLE system that is one of the high-priority things I take people through in my mentorship experiences.

And the trend I'm observing is that these systems are getting simpler and simpler. 

It might seem counter-intuitive, but it unlocks a new way of approaching and doing marketing. 

Strategic Synchronicity. 

The ability to create simpler and more aligned ways of doing things that demand less of you, and yet have so much more impact. 

Because they come from you. 

And they come TO you.

The more I live and do business out of this space the easier it gets, and the "lighter" it feels. 

Because you bypass "volume of effort" and go straight to "high-potency moments". 

So it's an area I've been going deeper into inside my Marketing Me Experience in the last few months. 

And I can pretty safely say is going to be a very big focus of 2023.

4. Authority over Ambiguity

Probably the biggest mistake I see people make is producing truckloads of “how to” content in an attempt to showcase their expertise in an area.

Which often leads to producing a wide variety of "stuff" which dilutes your master message. 

Basically this “how to” content is stuff people can google – and while you may have your unique take, it’s not overly unique, nor does it lead people to feel deeply connected to you, or to buy from you.

This is why I teach using only 20-30% is “how to” content.

The rest is made up of four other types of thought leadership marketing content that position you as the premium provider in your niche, connects you with customers more deeply....and importantly....

.....are way more effective for sparking commercial conversations.

And by the way,

Everything I've talked about is what I teach and support you to do in my Marketing Me program, which is open for enrollment now.  

Yes it's about personal branding, and how to market "yourself".

But it's so much more. 

It's an extraordinary month-long live (and beautiful) experience that will take you from awkward and insecure around how you are showing up, to excited and energised in your marketing so you can get your message to more as the powerful brand you are, and become a force for change in the world. 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nina Christian is a Marketing Futurist & Global Marketing Mentor who helps people do their marketing in a more human way. 

She is a Certified Practicing Marketer (CPM), Life Member and Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute & AMI State Chair (Vic) and for 20 years was director of Braveda (Winner, Best Marketing Agency, Australian Marketing Excellence Awards).

Several years ago Nina saw the world of marketing shifting – this time as people became their own brands.  With this, she created a new business as a thought leader, combining her expertise in brand building with personal positioning, resulting in a breakthrough praxis known as Marketing Me™.

She has a knack for simplifying the complex which comes from being a hands-on mum to five children, and uses this to turn time-sucking activities into easy-to-follow systems and processes that make a lot of sense and get outcomes fast.

There are different ways to work with Nina based on your situation and organisation size - with all of them you'll see rapid transformation and tangible outcomes fast. Book a chat with Nina here.