This morning I was on a call with a colleague of mine and she said something that really got me thinking: “Well isn’t that really where the rubber just meets the road?” So many agencies are able to deliver a brochure, come up with an ad…make something look pretty. BUT, do they really understand where the rubber meets the road?
At BottomLine, because we don’t do anything for a client without proper market research, we don’t just “build you something pretty” or go on what a client “thinks they want.” We really aren’t scared to tell you what we think! If what you’re trying to do isn’t going to work, we’re going to tell you. But to really further that, we take a look at your marketing as a whole. We look at your future plans (or what should be your future plans for growth and expansion) so that you don’t cut your nose off in spite of your face.
But what do I mean by “the rubber meets the road?” It really comes down to the results that you get from your marketing along with how it’s executed. My classic line of “Just because something looks good doesn’t mean it does its job” is key here. What we’re really talking about is using the tools that you’ve built (i.e. your website, social media platforms, media plan, brochure etc.) to get you results…but so many companies don’t look ahead to that part. Where the rubber meets the road is part of the implementation.
So let me give you an example: You have just completed a new website. Your designer comes up with an outstanding design; it’s beautiful. You launch your new website and announce its existence on your social media platforms. You get an increase of new traffic to your site for the first few weeks and then it dies off…and then you wait. You wonder…why didn’t building a new website get me any new business? And this my friend…is where the rubber meets the road. A web developer is going to sell you a great looking website, but most likely isn’t going to advise you on how to use your website as a tool to gain new business after you’ve created it. If you have a car but don’t have gas to drive it down the road, how are you going to get there?
Understanding how all pieces of your marketing works together is key. It’s not just about creating an outstanding design and it’s not about having the best website out there (although those things are important). It’s about looking at the whole picture and ensuring you have a plan to fill the car with gas to make it go.
I’d love to hear your stories! How are you making the rubber meet the road? What creates your gas?
