Four Ways to Get More from Your Marketing in 2024

As much as AI is affecting how we do things, it still hasn’t perfected the art of judging what’s worth doing. So, here are four non-AI-generated priorities to consider focusing on for 2024.

1. Lead with purpose, not “positions.” This past year, too many companies got tangled up in speaking out about polarizing issues — many of which had little to do with who they are or what they do. No doubt, we all need to leverage the power of our platforms wisely. But brands don’t need to post about every issue!

Especially as we move into this election year, let’s make sure we’re all crystal clear about our organization’s purpose. Refine a concise, consistent answer to two key questions: why does your organization exist and how do you truly provide value? Then use those answers as a screener to determine which conversations you should enter — and when. Don’t feel compelled to say anything unless you’re actually doing something to make the world a better place.

2. Create a 3D brand. Your brand isn’t defined by just how your customers perceive you. It’s also shaped by how your employees feel about you, why your donors support you, even what your vendors say about doing business with you. But unlike the advice dispensed by a recent webinar I listened to, that absolutely does NOT mean you need a customer brand, an employee brand, a philanthropy brand… You need a cohesive, three-dimensional brand.

Brand building is a team sport. So, bring your departments together to hone an overarching brand platform that is consistent at its core, yet flexible in its execution. Then, to build brand trust, ensure every type of communication to every stakeholder of your organization ladders up to this overarching brand platform. In business, as in life, we trust those who are true to who they are — no matter who they’re talking to.

3. Drive performance with better creative. It’s beyond time to stop delineating between “performance marketing” and “brand marketing.” They’re not mutually exclusive. They’re literally inseparable.

Of course, we need good data to optimize targeting and drive efficiencies. But if you truly want to move the needle, you first need creative approaches that move your audience. So don’t just deify analyzing the data. Synthesize it to glean truly meaningful insights. Then, use those insights to energize your creativity. No one pays attention to bland brands. Now more than ever we need fresh strategies, scroll-stopping visuals, and mind-changing copy to develop marketing that stands out — and pulls people in.

4. Diversify the media mix. We talk about marketing as a strategic investment. But too often we still act as if it were a game of buying the winning tactics. (“We need to be on TikTok…we should cut direct mail…”) Our media strategies should be as creative as anything else we’re doing, carefully considering not just where we could reach our audiences, but where they’ll want to engage with us. That will help us develop the right mix of tactics — and creatively connect the dots between them.

There are more tools than ever in the marketing toolbox — and more reasons than ever to be excited at the possibilities they present to engage your audiences and market your business. But as data-obsessed as marketing has become, we need more creative thinking about how to act on that data and drive meaningful results.

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