Author name: writeminded

Does this sound familiar? You have a fantastic service or product that you KNOW your target market needs. Your killer pitch has easily converted several prospects into customers. You’re growing your client base and looking to scale your business, then … The Plateau. Your sales and pipeline are chugging along, and growth seems imminent; then, it all cools off – seemingly out of nowhere. Your pipeline goes stale, new leads dry up, and your projections become hopes. So – what happened? There’s likely been a change in the market—the channels they use, what drives them to act, or even their interest in your offering. Also as likely, there’s a new competitor in the field, or a known competitor has shifted their tactics and is drowning your lead potential. This is the risk every company takes that doesn’t build their marketing strategy on competitive and market analysis or that did that due diligence at launch but has become complacent in tracking the market or competition and assumes “everyone” knows what they do and why they’re great. The fact is that 60% of B2B companies existing customers are not fully aware of their vendors’ additional offerings. That means 60% of your clients are not likely aware of your full scope of services, which represents a significant opportunity to grow your business revenue by increasing your existing account lifetime values. When it comes to refilling that pipeline with new opportunities, ongoing and consistent market, and competitive analysis are critical to your ability to differentiate your brand with targeted and unique messaging and offerings that your market really needs. Market and Competitive Analysis Benefits The benefits are tangible and wide-ranging. According to a study by B2B House: It’s pretty simple. You cannot compete in a market when you’re not aware of what the market wants, what makes them engage and act, and what might turn them off. You also can’t compete if you don’t know what other brands like yours are saying, their value propositions, or what channels they use to engage prospects. Digital marketing tools afford us a ton of real-time data for our marketing efforts. Launching a campaign or strategy without doing your homework on the market and competing brands is akin to shotgunning a barn with your marketing plan when the data we have at our fingertips in the digital space allows us to be much more intentional and effectively use a scalpel for carve out our piece of the market-share pie. Rebuild Your Marketing Strategy Process to Make Room for More It’s not enough to do competitive and market analysis to build a better mousetrap at the outset of your strategy. It has to be an ongoing part of your strategic process. Our recommendation is to pull quarterly reporting on your market and competition to stay on top of shifts and allow your marketing team to be proactive instead of reactive to changes in the market that threaten your pipeline. No business is protected from the threat of market change, so being intentional about tracking your competition and market activity gives you the advantage of visibility into potential trends and shifts to protect your pipeline opportunities and your future business growth. LEVEL UP NOW

The Power of Intention in Your Brand The power of intention in branding cannot be overstated. Intentionally defining your brand WHY drives every successful brand, shaping its identity, guiding its actions, and resonating deeply with its audience. I believe that a brand built with clear and purposeful intention stands out, connects authentically, and thrives in the long run. Understanding Intention in Branding Intention in branding goes beyond mere aesthetics or catchy slogans. It is about the core values, mission, and vision that define your brand; it must clearly represent your WHY. When you are intentional about your brand, every element—from your logo and color scheme to your messaging and customer interactions—reflects a cohesive and meaningful story. This story is what attracts and retains loyal customers. The Benefits of Intentional Branding How to Infuse Intention into Your Brand At WriteMinded Digital Marketing, we understand that the power of intention in branding is transformative. It shapes how your brand is perceived and drives its success, and we know how to integrate your brand intentions into your content and messaging. By being intentional about your brand, you can create a lasting impact, foster meaningful connections, and achieve your business goals. Remember, a brand with purpose is a brand with power.

Ok, so I know I’m dating myself, but when I was growing up, I was given the impression that quicksand was something I’d have to worry about out in the real world. From Gilligan’s Island to the Land of the Lost to Indiana Jones, the idea of slogging, and sucking holes in sand were a real and concerning threat. I mean, this was a very real concern. So, imagine my surprise when I started to venture outside on my own, and no quicksand presented itself to drag me down. The worst I dealt with was in the game Pitfall, and even that version was underwhelmingly easy to beat. (That swinging vine was cool, though.) However, relieved I am that I won’t likely get sucked into a sandy, wet vortex, the more I think about content marketing and the struggle my clients and partners struggle with it, I realize that quicksand is a VERY real threat. Content Marketing Quicksand – Yes, This One’s Real Any business owner or marketer knows the pain that is involved in creating engaging, unique, and differentiating content, getting it approved, and implementing it as part of your brand, growth, or sales strategy. And that struggle, that feeling of being “stuck” with generic content, underperforming messaging, or stuck just trying to get a content plan off the ground, THAT; ‘s the real quicksand. And if you don’t watch out, it will kill your brand growth, leaving your team stuck in a sticky, sinking pile of starts and stops with your content, that results in degraded progress. So how do you avoid it? How to Spot Content Marketing Quicksand Quicksand looks like a content plan with no plan, ad hoc, one-off content being created to meet an individual need without realistic goals or tracking aligned. It looks like content that closely resembles what your competitors are saying so no one “hears” the message or messaging that is tone-deaf to the needs and interests of your target market. Content quicksand does not have a clear, approved content planning and approval process to ensure timely delivery of assets and delayed campaigns. These are very real, and tangible, threats to your brand’s ability to claim your market share by developing a rapport and trust through consistent, engaging content shares with your prospects and clients. So, grab a vine. We can get you over the pit and onto solid brand-supporting ground.