Will a marketing communications strategy help sales and prevent breakdowns?

Simply put... yes. Documenting any strategy can make a significantly positive impact on whatever the focus may be in that context. Here we're talking about marketing, but there's a larger document you may also need in your business that some people refer to as a corporate communications plan. Do you have anything like this for your team and business?

Before getting into the details, let's pause to ask why we should be talking about communications strategies.  For me (Candice), this topic recently came up when I started reading Amelia Bedelia to my toddler. 

The story of Amelia Bedelia's incredibly silly and over the top mis-interpretations of her chores list make us laugh out loud. One of my favorite moments is when she reads, "Put the lights out" and interprets that to mean...

Every brand has their core values. When a colleague asked me (Candice) about Beckmann Collaborative's values about 5 years ago, I froze. I was so caught up in the day to day operations that I had not really paused to think about WHY I was doing this marketing strategy stuff. And I had not documented the values I expected in the WAY the work is done. 

It is interactions like this one about core values that make me such a believer in building a strong community. Thank you to everyone who has ever contributed to the growth, learning, and innovation that Beckmann Collaborative has experienced in the past 7 years. 

These are our core values

Wisdom, Integrity, Collaboration, and Freedom

Wisdom:

The thoughtful application of knowledge we gain along life's journey teaches us many things. Wisdom brings both grace and humility. Beyond consulting, we aim to educate...

[UPDATED JANUARY 31, 2022]

Beckmann Collaborative is a business training and marketing consulting firm based in Austin, Texas. We serve clients throughout the United States of America. Our mission is to transform teams from disorganized, fractured marketing efforts into those with a cohesive collaboration with better results.

We co-create innovative solutions with our clients around their marketing, sales, and operations. Together, we solve problems and create structures that allow each business to grow and evolve.

Our People and Credentials

Candice DeRiso, Owner

Marketing Strategist & Trainer

Candice is a marketing strategist and trainer focused on supporting growing businesses to find, attract and retain their ideal customers. Her professional journey includes marketing for Broadway shows, Carnegie Hall, high-tech companies, and a...

GUEST POST by Heather Redding

We all spend the majority of our waking hours at work these days. Our careers make up a considerable portion of what we do each day and how we operate. It’s no wonder, then, that many of the most talented people in the current landscape are keen to work for companies that put their needs and satisfaction first.

The term “company culture” isn’t just a buzzword for recruitment. Your culture describes how people feel when they’re working in your office, and how connected your team is to each other and your goals. According to Deloitte, 88% of employees and 94% of team executives believe that good workplace culture is essential to any business's success.

So, how do you create a positive culture for your business?

Analyze Your Employees

When you’re building a successful sales and marketing strategy, where do you go...

When you're on a budget (of both time and money), it can be tough to step away from billable work to focus your efforts towards working "on the business." And yet, a realistic marketing plan is one of the most important things you can do to ensure that billable work continues to roll-in. Without customers, there is no business. Without marketing and sales, there are no leads to become customers.

Marketing is NOT Rocket Science, nor is there a Magic Formula

Sorry to all of my marketing entrepreneur friends selling a formula, but I simply disagree. At its core, marketing is simply the ways a business most effectively communicates what they do and why they do it with the intention of generating revenue from those communications. No formula that someone creates will always apply to you. There will be cool ideas embedded in a formula for sure, just remember that your business -...

As we countdown to Thanksgiving, the new year is on the horizon. For marketers and business owners, that means one thing — it’s time to make a plan. 

Your business needs a marketing plan because your marketing and sales efforts will be moot, without a defined strategy in place.  Some see marketing plans as a daunting process to delay for as long as possible. At Beckmann Collaborative, we know how much fun it can be to create a fresh new marketing plan.

It's something that helps you understand your target audience, makes you think about the way to communicate your brand, evaluate competitors, and set realistic, measurable goals you can work toward.

To keep things simple, we've come up with a blueprint that organizes your Marketing Plan into Six Sections:

1. Branding 101

Whether you know it or not, you have a Brand. To get yourself in the right mindset,...

UPDATED: July 2021 

Data Vs. Experience in Decision Making

For thousands of years, business owners made decisions based on their prior knowledge - the data in their minds. Within the past 15-20 years, the digital age has shifted decision making to lean exclusively on hard data. It makes sense. Your ability to set goals and plans based on data can significantly shorten the testing time. The guesswork is removed. 

As it is with so many other shifts during the digital age, we may have reached a point of going a little too extreme. Yes, data is vital to decision making. Is it the exclusive way to identify patterns and make wise decisions?  I don't think so. 

A recent survey of business decision makers presented some very interesting results.

"86.8% of respondents report that their work environment is in constant flux or lacking clear correct...

Earlier this year, I was invited to become an instructor with General Assembly. A few times each month, I would go to their offices in downtown Austin to lead classes such as Intro to Digital Marketing and Intro to Content Strategy. The experience has been more enriching than I originally anticipated. Yes, I’m getting the opportunity to share what I’ve learned by trying and failing or succeeding to others. Hooray for knowledge transfer! Along the way, I learned some valuable lessons and so I perked up when they asked if I wanted to teach even more.

This month I’m leading a 10-week part-time course two nights per week. In preparation for teaching this course, General Assembly (GA) has a thorough onboarding procedure. I call it Training the Trainer. Stepping outside of the usual approach and getting new ideas from GA was incredibly helpful. 

...

updated September 1, 2022

Why Set Marketing Goals?

Goal setting is the foundation of your marketing strategy and the marketing tactics you use to fulfill on it. If you want people to make purchases, then shouldn't you be tracking conversions?

And if you are posting to social media and writing blogs every week, wouldn't you like to have a clear understanding of what is working (or not working)?

It is logical that you want to see the effect of your marketing tactics and be able to measure that success or failure. This line of thinking leads you to today's topic: Goal Setting. 

How do you create achievable marketing goals?

First, let's look at your business objectives or goals. Wait, you have those setup... right?

Does your company have a mission, vision or values? Usually, your mission or vision represent your passion for what your business...

UPDATED: March 21, 2022

Definition of a marketing content audit

A Marketing Content Audit is a comprehensive analysis and evaluation of your business' marketing. This includes your goals, strategies, tactics, and the results of your marketing efforts.  Evaluation is the first step towards creating a powerful marketing strategy - knowing your current situation.

Conducting a content audit is a powerful way to get more deeply in touch with your brand, products and services; and it helps to refocus your marketing strategy. 

In this article, you'll learn more about the marketing audit, its components and how it is used. 

How To Conduct a Content Audit...

1. Evaluate Your Current Marketing Plan

To begin your marketing content audit, evaluate your big-picture plans. Here are key questions to ask when doing such an evaluation

• What are...