Are you focusing your brand efforts on simple sales and just getting people to buy your products? If so you are reaching out using the marketing strategies of the last century. Sure, things like a spiffy new packaging, a great new taste or lower prices may have caught a persons eye and cause them to buy, does it inspire devotion? After that initial new feeling wears off, do they really have any loyalty to your brand? Todays consumer wants to be educated; they want to know why they should pick your brand over another. They want to know that you cater to their other interests and not just to the immediate sale. Instead of focusing your efforts on just getting people buying, you need to retool your shop to focus on the buy in.

The response from the title may sound like a big duh, no kidding, but I see far too many companies needing this reminder. On a weekly basis I come into contact with companies not utilizing or developing cohesive short, medium and long term goals into a complete marketing strategy. The reason why? Technology. New, and in many cases not so new technologically advanced marketing tools have inundated businesses with options and possibilities on how to promote their brand. Sadly the side effect of this sudden evolutionary leap is that the marketing department may not be able to keep up quickly enough to get a good grip on the new tactics now available.