Do You Have Lazy Roots? Time for Deep Marketing!
You may not know this, but I'm an accidental gardener. People laugh when I say that because my last name seems to indicate I might have a predilection, but nope - they're wrong. That didn't stop me from always having pots of flowers on the balcony of my apartment during college, or starting a raised bed veggie garden once I actually had a yard.I don't believe there is such a thing as a green thumb. We can all learn to do whatever we put our minds to ... and that calls for passion. Because I am passionate about gardening, I read everything I can get my hands on about it. There's always something more to learn.So when Sunset magazine mentioned deep watering your garden (leaving the hose on trickle for about 20 minutes) during summer, my ears perked up.Deep watering, Sunset enlightened me, is important, because roots can get lazy when they are given only a couple inches of water at a time. When they stop seeking deeper water, they stop growing. Eventually, a plant's support roots become inadequate. It can look alive for a long time, until one day it topples over in a strong wind or rainstorm.
Can businesses have lazy roots?
Lazy roots. The marketer in me was intrigued. Could businesses have lazy roots?Yes, indeed. When we only care for the top soil - or in marketing parlance, the customer-facing side of our business - we aren't setting ourselves up for a strong foundation that will stay upright in inclement weather.
Social media is fun, effective, and very customer-facing, but it's the top soil of your marketing. Deep marketing is about strategy, purpose, intention. These are your core. How can you begin deep marketing?
- Determine a strategy based on your simple brand guide. Don't have one? Read about a Brand Sprint I did with a client who has been in business for 25 years. After the team experienced a "trigger" event that made them rethink everything, we did a "brand sprint" (three hours, six exercises) that brought their new direction into sharper focus.
- Create your own content. Instagram stories, IGTV, even Facebook video or Facebook Live is a great way to begin to go deeper with social media and in turn, bring more eyeballs to you and what you do. Find out more with a kickstarter campaign.
- Run your own race. This might sound a little motivational-speakerish, but digging deep into your passion keeps you from comparing yourself and going off track.Train hard, know what your competition is doing, but when race time comes, put those blinders on and run as hard as you can.
I might be an accidental gardener, but there's nothing accidental about our businesses when they are marketed deeply. I'd love to hear what you are doing with your marketing. I'm rooting for you!
