Sparking Joy…with Marketing
I'm a huge fan of the Marie Kondo method of organizing, which is based around only keeping things around you that Spark Joy. And as I was thinking about what tea cup to use today that would most spark my joy, it made me think about whether that's happening in marketing.
You see, it's really easy to get TACTICAL about marketing. To focus on what data we can collect (and what it's telling us). To focus on creating MORE content to get more eyes (even though it doesn't work like that). To explore new channels because maybe THAT'S where your clients are hanging out (I have a whole rant on that one).
But where's the JOY?
Now, as someone who is innately curious, it's possible the curiosity itself is where the joy lies. And that's possible for a small subset of people, but definitely not ALL, especially based on what I observe from the marketing peeps doing these activities.
More often than not, these actions drive frustration, overwhelm and even work anxiety.
NOT Joy.
So, what if, instead, we focused on what brings US Joy in our marketing?
AND...
What brings OTHERS Joy (yes, in our marketing).
What might that look like?
A Case of Diminishing Returns
Since you're reading this on the internet, let's go with something digital; social media. I choose that one because it's possible to do it even without a budget. But really, this exploration can be extrapolated to any of your marketing efforts 😉
I asked ChatGPT what the most common social media posts were for B2B companies, and this is what it came back with: 1) Educational Content, 2) Product Highlights, 3) Customer Success Stories, 4) Behind-The-Scenes, 5) Events, 6) Infographics and 7) Corporate Announcements.
Ugh, even reading the list my joy is not sparked, but let's choose one that has the most potential; Educational Content.
So, what's the last piece of educational content / thought-leadership you created?
Yup, go ahead and pull it up.
Now, I want you to think back to when you created that piece of content.
How were you feeling when you started? Were you jazzed? Excited? Passionate? Ranting?
How many iterations did it do through?
Were you still feeling that kind of energy at the end of the process?
And, at the end of the day, did it make you HAPPY to create it?
Were you PROUD of it once you were done (if your name even got to be on it)?
Ok, so I could go on asking these types of questions for a LONG time, but the point I'm trying to make here is, most of us go through such a PROCESS of creation, that by the time we get done, all the passion that went into the idea at the beginning is gone. Maybe less so in writing, but I almost ALWAYS see this in pre-recorded video.
When you do THAT over and over, you consistently diminish your returns.
Turning Things Around
So, what if we DIDN'T suck the Joy out of the activity in the process. What might that look like?
One, we encourage a SHORTER time frame for creation (instead of longer, with more approvals). And I know that might seem scary from a Brand Management perspective. But any piece of content is NOT getting better the more filters it goes through; it's getting watery. And watery content doesn't spark joy in others.
Two, we encourage EVERYONE to create (and celebrate them when they do). When creating content is limited only to the Marketing Team, there's by default only a small perspective that gets shared. The more perspectives that become available in the market, the more opportunities people have to connect to it.
Three, we concern ourselves with the INPUTS that generate Joy. Do you know what turns on the passion within each of your team members? I think most people understand the concept of, "garbage in, garbage out", yet we still don't focus on greating GOOD inputs.
Four, we actively REMOVE roadblocks to sparking Joy. Once we know the inputs are there, we can look for any places where they are being sucked out of the process. Because ALL processes are changeable. And if we really want to be able to connect with our potential customers, we want to remove all the roadblocks, right?
And five, we observe WHAT sparks Joy with our clients. So often in marketing, people ask about what's "resonating". And real resonance creates Joy; a desire to continue to be in conversation with a brand because it adds value. And once we know what this is, we also have the opportunity to lean into it more :)
The Results
I believe that Marketing should be a revenue-generating business unit. Which means, the above efforts can't just FEEL GOOD; they also have to generate results.
But WHAT are the results you need?
Scratch that...what are the results that bring you JOY?
There are so many things that we track because they make logical sense. But how many of those things bring us joy when we're tracking them? Heck, how many bring us joy even when we've ACHIEVED them?
So often I've seen marketing efforts measured around an action that someone else took; a download, an open, a connection acceptance. But when was the last time a download of your lead magnet brought you true joy?
If it's NOT, then it's NOT success (for you).
So, what results do you get when you DO feel joy?
I'll be 100% real with mine...conversations.
Every time I have a conversation, it brings me joy.
So sure, I could replace my time spent in conversation with a more "tangible" business result, but that would take the joy out of it for me.
When the RESULT is attached to JOY, you get MORE of that result.
Pure and simple.
So, it might just be time to review those KPI's 😉
At the end of the day...
The majority of businesses (and marketing teams) are NOT prioritizing joy in the process. And it's reflecting on the sales funnel.
And if your funnel isn't delivering today anyway, why not take a chance on creating something that's a little more pleasant for everyone?
The results might surprise you 🎉
Interested in exploring the opportunity? Let's chat!
