What misaligned marketing collateral costs your business

Ever been out for a walk and seen an interesting older home but something appeared a little off? Upon closer inspection, it looks like the main house was built in one decade, the garage in another, the new guest bedroom in another? In short, they just don’t go together. 

Unless we are careful, our business marketing collateral can give off this same vibe. The website was built first, then the blog, email, social media, downloads all built over time… each with a slightly different message and look. You get the picture. 

Sound like your business? Kudos to you for utilizing the foundational five marketing assets for your audience to learn more. However, it’s too bad that you don’t show a consistent, cohesive picture of your business. 

At a minimum, it appears that you are not updating your information regularly, implying a less professional image than you would like. At a maximum, you are not building the trust and communication with your audience that can be gained by all pieces working together, highlighting the same main messages. (For more information on messaging, read the blog.)

It seems daunting to think about creating these pieces again so that they work well together. The time and expense would be considerable. And luckily, it is not necessary. What a business needs is to refresh and sync up their various marketing pieces created over time. 

The goal: wherever you encounter the brand, you see the same messaging. 

Brand messaging needs to be consistent among all the foundational five marketing assets, otherwise it will cost you new business opportunities.

How it’s done

Step 1 – Get a messaging plan.
Get a simple, forward-looking messaging strategy for your business. If you have a business plan and marketing plan, your messaging plan will be a natural next step, not an afterthought.

Step 2 – Infuse the current messaging in all marketing pieces.
Picture you are a new contact checking out your business’ digital presence. You might start on LinkedIn, then go to the website, download a helpful document and read a blog. Or you might begin with an email you received. Either way, make note of all old messaging and replace it with new messaging from Step 1. 

Step 3 – Review again.
Again, simulate the actions of a new contact as they work their way through your marketing collateral. Now that you have synced up all pieces, it should look consistent enough to communicate effectively and build trust.  

Realization

This is not a one and done. You will need to undertake this activity again and again. 

This is because your social media will always outpace your other marketing pieces. Social media messaging refreshes weekly due to constant feedback received from your audience in the form of likes, comments, and shares. 

What’s a business owner to do?
Commit to quarterly updates of your marketing collateral.

Because the time frame is shorter, the changes are typically modest — a refined paragraph here, a clarified message there. Once you’ve completed an initial overhaul, these regular touch points are often all you need to keep pace with your evolving brand.

Quarterly updates are far less demanding than letting an entire year slip by. Without consistent check-ins, messaging begins to drift across platforms — and that’s where confusion creeps in and potential new business is lost.

Misaligned marketing creates doubt. If your messaging varies from piece to piece, how does your audience know what’s accurate or current?

Regular audits and alignment bring clarity — and clarity builds trust. And if you want to earn someone’s business, trust is everything.

Watch the results
After implementing quarterly messaging updates, you’ll see measurable improvements.

Your audience receives the most up-to-date information they’re actively seeking.

You consistently put your best foot forward with everyone who views your marketing collateral.

Regular updates, in many cases, cost less than doing a single large annual overhaul.

How to get started

Download a free foundational five audit: www.strategiesbykms.com/_____. Then ask a trusted marketing company to review your marketing suite and implement recommendations. After that, when people check out your business in more than one place, they won’t channel “older home”, but instead will see a compelling brand that shows up consistently at every point of connection, strengthening trust. 

KMS Marketing Strategies is a marketing company specializing in strategy for professional service providers, small business owners, and entrepreneurs. Our team can guide you from planning to execution. Learn more at www.strategiesbykms.com.