A Five-Step Recipe for Marketing Success

You've already heard that I work long hours juggling multiple priorities in my role with Affinity Express. When I show up at the office armed with trays of decadent desserts my coworkers, I invariably hear the question: "How do you find the time?" The answer is that I make the time because baking not only gives me a welcome break from work but also reinforces the way I approach marketing and gives me an opportunity to think through more complex challenges. Let me explain.

1.  Understand the Plan

You have to read a recipe thoroughly before you start doing anything to see how all the steps work together, the timing and the equipment needed. Although the process is fun, the objective is to create something delicious. In my years of baking, I have forgotten this rule occasionally and realized I didn't have half-cup ramekins or overlooked the fact I needed to make pie crust dough earlier in the day so it would have time to rest. Trust me—these were not my best desserts!

Marketing is not a series of isolated events. You don't send out a random email blast without a plan. There has to be a defined goal and each tactic or step has to advance you to the desired end point. If you want to generate leads or increase visibility for your brand, document the tactics you will employ, who will be responsible, when they will perform tasks, how long it will take and what it will cost. Even if you have to respond to an unexpected request or surprise news, map it out before reacting.

At least once per year, we get a last-minute request to attend a new industry event. That's when Marketing kicks into high gear, researches the attendees, drafts the messaging and meets with the appropriate team members to pitch our pre- and post-show emails, handouts, signage, offers and more. All the components have to work together and it would be tremendously inefficient and ineffective to dole out tasks and knock them off our list without overall coordination and collaboration.