Strategy Matters delivers news, tips and strategies for effective communications through traditional and social media. 

There are two key challenges that businesses are likely to face in 2014 from a marketing standpoint: one is evergreen, the other is continuing to emerge: 

• Evergreen: Ensuring that their marketing efforts are cost-effective and generating results.  
• Continuing to emerge: Determining how to most effectively leverage the use of a myriad of online and electronic options to connect with their audiences.  

As organizations and individuals look forward to 2014, they would be well-served to commit to:

• Looking for ways to leverage both on- and offline techniques to maximize impact. Some "old" techniques like traditional direct mail are seeing a resurgence of sorts as online mailboxes become more and more full and traditional "snail mail boxes" remain relatively empty.
• Embracing analytics. Online marketing is extremely measurable -- but only for those who take the time to measure the impact of what they're doing. There are many no- and low-cost tools available for small businesses to test, pilot and expand their online marketing efforts in ways that may sense from a bottom-line, results-oriented standpoint.
• Considering the value of mobile messaging for their target audiences. Mobile is growing significantly; using mobile advertising effectively is about more than simply sharing an existing web site in a mobile format. There are opportunities for small businesses to explore mobile advertising, the creation of apps, the use of mobile for niche objectives, etc.
• Avoiding the tendency to discount traditional forms of communication. Many of the "old" techniques, and certainly the "old" methods are still relevant. The basic principles of effective marketing or advertising have not changed, and will not change just because new tools and communication vehicles are emerging. Effective marketing is still about clarifying measurable goals and objectives, clearly defining a target audience, learning as much as possible about that target audience and then creating messages and selecting communication vehicles designed to connect with and compel that audience to some desired action.

In 20014 commit to thinking logically about your marketing communication efforts. Identify your goals and objectives, specifically target and learn as much as you possibly can about the audiences you wish to influence, and choose communication tactics most likely to generate the results you seek.

It really is as simple - and as complex - as that. 

We can help! Marketing is our passion. 

Forget "Big Ideas": 

It's Real Results That Really Matter!

Marketers, advertisers, marketing communication strategists, copywriters, designers, videographers, etc., etc., etc., often talk about "the big idea" -- and much of their time, effort and brainstorming activities are directed at identifying that "big idea" -- that one thing that will... That will what? It is at this critical juncture between the idea and what that idea is intended to do where "creatives" often fail to get the point.