Thinking through the details and asking questions is absolutely necessary and a fundamental function of developing a marketing or outreach campaign. But once ideas have been formed, thorough research has been completed to substantiate decisions, and the course set, leaders shoot themselves in the foot when they spend their time second-guessing.
I understand, developing a campaign can be an uncomfortable, even frightening, undertaking. By design, it involves high exposure (at least that’s what a successful initiative should achieve) and means committing significant resources. However, second-guessing every move can unintentionally sabotage success and risk costing your organization a lot more money. I’d like to recommend three key points for enhancing effectiveness.
Do your homework, asking “why” every step of the way. From what it is you want to achieve, to the reason your company is the right one to do it, relentlessly asking “why” helps ensure a strong foundation for success. Research of opportunities, challenges, strategies and tactics are key to satisfying questions that should be asked throughout the planning process. If a campaign is designed to motivate a particular action, who are its target audiences? What messages will influence their behavior, who should deliver them and what methods will produce the greatest impact? The planning process is loaded with questions that require solid answers for you to proceed with confidence.
Trust the team you’ve charged with carrying out the campaign. Whether it’s an in-house department or hired consultants, what do you need to have confidence in their work? Is it examples of other campaigns they’ve developed? References from colleagues you admire? If it’s a team you’ve worked with before, is there any reason to think they won’t come through this time? Regardless, once you’ve determined who’s right for the job, give them your trust. Nothing poisons morale, blocks creativity and leaves people feeling defeated than the second-guessing that comes from lack of trust.
Once a solid plan is in place, stay the course. Fear of making a mistake is often at the root of second-guessing. There are no guarantees in life, but if you’ve done your homework in forming a plan, follow it through. Abrupt changes that come from altering course once a campaign is launched interrupts the build of coordinated strategies and dilutes your campaign’s impact. Changes in direction also cost money. If a campaign is launched down one path, then changed to another, and changed to another, it requires additional hours to reset strategies and increased budget to produce new materials. Clearly, it’s important to build in assessment points for measuring a campaign’s progress and making any necessary adjustments, and flexibility must be possible when unforeseen opportunities present themselves along the way, but chronic changes from second guessing only jeopardize your success.
I’m Kelli Newman and this has been a Minute with Messaging™. I encourage you to subscribe to this podcast on your favorite platform and search past episodes for more topics you may find helpful. And to learn how your organization can benefit from Newman & Newman’s communication strategies, visit our website at NEWMANandNEWMANinc.com.
