Just as the ocean is vast, constantly in motion and ever-changing, so is the marketing industry. Whether there is a constant flow of waves or moments of calm waters, the surfer should always be prepared, dedicated, persevering.
The same goes for the marketer.
Below are 5 ways marketing in today’s industry is much like surfing in today’s waters.
Like surfing, marketing must start with a strategic plan. Whether you are planning your surf times and routes, or mapping out the next 6 months of your business’s marketing plan, it is important to be well organised and have your end goals in mind.
Surfing preparations are vital to ensure success. Preparing your board, paddling out passed the break, and positioning yourself and the board are all important steps to riding in the waves. This step takes dedication and perseverance. So does your preparations for implementing your marketing plans. Creating social media schedules, email and postal campaigns, adverts, and press releases take time and dedication, but are extremely important to your marketing campaign.
Once you have done the prep work, you want to make sure you implement it at the right moment. Whether it’s scheduling social media posts or email campaigns to go out at a certain time or date, making sure you choose the right time to get maximum results is of upmost importance. Much like waiting for the perfect wave to take into shore, it becomes a waiting game. Paddle in too early and the wave will crash before you get the chance to ride it, paddle in too late and you’ll miss your chance.
Once you’ve put your plan into place, it’s time to ride the wave. As the wave comes in, standing upright on the board is just the first step. Maintaining your balance and keeping an eye on the barrel are essential to keeping upright and making it to shore. This step not only takes skill, but focus, much like the implementation of a marketing plan. Just scheduling emails and sending press releases don’t guarantee success, you must stay on top of them, keeping an eye on statistics and following up where need be.
You don’t just ride one wave and then call it a day; you get back out there. Same goes for marketing. Once one marketing campaign finishes it’s time to look at the next. The marketing industry is never stagnant, but a constant flow of ever-changing waves that come and go; and if you’re lucking, you might just catch a big one.
