Organizing principle No. 1 : A pyramid of marketing communications excellence. Because I want you to deliver awesome every day.
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Where to start when it’s time to land an idea
All communication benefits from structure. Want to tell a memorable story? Make sure it has a beginning, middle, end, and a surprise baked in. Want to engage an audience with details on your latest widget? Be intentional. Organizing principles help.
I’ve jotted the pyramid above on whiteboards and in slide decks, and mentioned it in conversation hundreds of times. I’ve put it to the test in my work and my team’s work. Observation proven by data: the pyramid holds up. And it holds up because it’s simple.
Caveat: I expect zero readers to faint at their standing desk upon viewing the Audience <-> Channel <-> Content (+ Why) pyramid. It’s a reinforcement not a revelation. That said, I’m accepting calls from anyone who believes their marketing communications couldn’t do a better job connecting each component.
Not theory, practice
If you’re going to transmit, receive, and convert, then you’ll need answers to questions that can be deceptively tough. Here’s a sample set for each of the pyramid’s three corners:
Audience: Who are you attempting to reach with your product or service and what are their motivations, wants, needs, fears, and incentives? Persona development can help here. Are you targeting buyers or users? What data do you have on engagement (brand-level) and conversions (demand-gen), demographics, psychographics, and budget? This can take time. In my experience, rushing to conclusions accelerates failure not success and teams that put more effort behind audience analysis + testing yield higher ROI.
Channel: What are your primary channels for reaching your target audience? How is your story likely to play out around your audience’s digital (or real-life) campfires? What do your KPIs say about whether or not you’re reaching your audience? How many versions of your story will you need to optimize every touchpoint? Pro tip: Don’t assume a great piece of content for one channel will work on others. Customize.
Content (+ Style): What is your message or story and how are you packaging it? Does it speak to your audience’s needs? Is it differentiated? Does it convey your brand promise and character? Is it tailored to your primary channels? It can be tempting to think content before channel. I’ve tried it. However, success is channel before content and modifying content to suit your channels. Because if you can’t reach your audience with your content then your content isn’t going to be worth all that much.
Not local, global
Your communications won’t travel far without a convincing Why. Hence its position at the center of the pyramid, like the Eye of Providence.
Why is the reason you’re in business. Simple as that. It determines the audience you’re pursuing, the channel(s) where you can arrest their attention, and the content that will help them reach their goals.
In practical terms, if your Why and supporting details are best showcased via long-form thought leadership or research, then hit the keyboard; if short-form videos on social media are the path to your audience’s heart, then supply and distribute accordingly; if blogs or how-to illustrations or name-your-category will convey your Why and compel action, then invest to win. And de-invest in assets that don’t perform as well. Net: Whatever you do, center your content strategy on your Why. There’s really no other way.
I’ll use this post as an example
Why: Because the battle for mindshare and conversions (e.g. delivering awesome) rewards those who hit the content and storytelling 🎯.
Audience: Senior-level brand and product marketers at fast-growing technology companies where there’s constant pressure to think strategically, reach customers in original ways, and spend wisely.
Channel: My blog and email list, website visitors, Medium, targeted social. This is a relatively long-form piece made for a 4-minute read rather than a 2-second (if that) glance.
Content: Copy + illustrations presented in an approachable style with personal references. Emphasis on pragmatic insights and explanations. Subtitles to break up the story and allow scanability on mobile devices. Not to exceed 750 words.
Put your pyramid to work
Test it with the knowledge that if it were easy, everyone would do it. The upside is that as far as I can tell, more should.
Also: macro point: Keep your material as short as possible but no shorter than necessary. I’ll 🛑 here.
Your turn 🟢.