So what do onions and great marketing plans have in common? Yes, both reduce the risk of gastric ulcers and help regulate blood sugar, but the answer we’re looking for is that both are made up of layers.
Today we have the ability to advertise to individuals at the very moment they’re about to make a buying decision. So why bother with things like building brand “awareness” when you already have all these buyers at the bottom of the sales funnel? Because it takes multiple layers of marketing to get them there.
Consumers have to want your product or service before they’ll buy it. No news there. But purchasing decisions don’t always hinge on simple motivations like “I need a new plunger.” Consumers consider other factors like:
- How is this product different?
- What does it cost?
- Is it easy to use?
- How is it going to make my life better?
These types of questions can rarely be answered with a single Google ad or social media post. That’s where layers come in. A properly layered marketing strategy helps potential customers find the answers to these questions in a bold way.
Everyone consumes media and information in different places, different amounts and at different times. A well-crafted marketing onion has layers that gather consumers’ attention from seemingly everywhere.
Take traditional advertising. Advertisers don’t buy a single billboard or a 30-second TV commercial that runs just once. Successful advertising campaigns use a multi-layered strategy. Together, the layers reinforce the campaign’s overall message across multiple touch points—like a giant, inescapable onion flying right at your dome.
So what should your marketing onion look like? Your goals and level of existing brand recognition will help determine how many layers to include and where they should focus.
For instance, do you need word-of-mouth and growth marketing to bring a new product to market? Your onion may consist of an influencer strategy, blogger outreach, search engine optimization, social media advertising and video marketing. Is your company looking to revitalize sales of a long-established product after a flat year? You may need to layer in email, search engine marketing, social media, retargeting and PR.
Good marketing plans are impossible to miss. They earn frequent exposure to the right audience at the right time. Great marketing doesn’t operate on a “build it and they will come” mentality or a “let’s just go viral on YouTube” daydream. It takes calculated thought, research, testing, data and stinking layers!