Why do businesses struggle with marketing?

Brian Sooy • October 12, 2019

When the first thing a business owner wants to do is to launch into a campaign without the guidance of a strategic plan, a marketing plan — any plan — the business struggles.

In almost every conversation we have with CEOs and business owners, we hear: “We’re struggling with marketing and telling our story…”

When it comes to marketing, you need to set clear strategy for direction and empower your team to create and implement the communication strategy.  At the highest level, how does this work?
  • Your strategic plan will identify your objectives, goals, and outcomes with supporting objectives, strategy and tactics that a marketing plan will support. 
  • Marketing is about driving engagement – inviting consumers into a story (about how your brand makes their life better ) that supports a narrative (about your brand), and participating with people in conversations about those stories.  
  • Marketing is the dialog that brands hold with consumers where they listen and engage to understand how their brand fits into an individual's lifestyle (for B2C brands) or helps people grow their business (for B2B brands).
  • This approach is key to the understanding that all marketing and communications should build trust, drive consumer engagement, and call people to action.

Stop Struggling with Marketing

You can stop struggling with marketing and start succeeding with engaging consumers when you answer these five questions:
  1. Are we ready to stop telling our story and invite people into a story that demonstrates how we can help them live a better life, accomplish their goals, and change their future?
  2. What data and consumer insights can I leverage to bring objective insight to this area of my leadership?
  3. Are we in alignment with strategic planning, marketing, and sales strategies to achieve our revenue goals?
  4. Can I get buy-in from the owner, CEO, and executive leadership team to support the marketing communication strategy and funding for the tactics that will help us achieve our objectives?
  5. Am I willing to embrace that branding is an outcome of a strategic communications approach, and not the reason for it?
When you integrate StoryBrand and the Marketing Made Simple approach into your business, you'll stop struggling and start succeeding so your business thrives.

Do you have a hard time explaining what your company does or why your brand matters to people?

If you struggle to grow your business, you’re not alone. Aespire can help you create a clear message and brand that helps you grow your business. Contact us today for a consultation with a StoryBrand Certified Marketing Guide.

Get a Free Comprehensive Marketing Assessment

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Stop hoping your marketing will sort itself out.

  1. Complete this free assessment in 15 minutes.
  2. Review your custom report (and schedule a 30-minute review) to diagnose what’s happening.
  3. Create an action plan to get your marketing back on track.
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