September Update: 7 Layers Of A Marketing Masterpiece
Welcome to this month's update! Here's what you'll find in this update (click a section to go directly there):
The 7 Layers Of A Marketing Masterpiece
Written by Asher Witmer
Let's face it, you've probably been bombarded with marketing gurus promising the next “big thing.” One minute, they're telling you to ditch long sales funnels, and the next, they're touting automated closures with high-ticket clients.
It's enough to make anyone feel like they're missing out.
But here's the secret: effective marketing isn't about a secret formula or a quick fix. It's about building a solid foundation layer by layer.
Think of marketing like creating a masterpiece – it's not about slapping on a coat of paint and calling it a day. It's about carefully layering colors and textures to create a harmonious whole.
So, what are these layers? Let's break it down.
Layer #1: A quality product or service that meets people’s needs and is delivered with care
The best marketing comes from satisfied customers sharing their positive experiences. All marketing efforts aim to encourage and spread these positive stories. It begins with offering a quality product or service that truly helps people. When a business does this and cares about its customers, it creates a strong foundation for successful marketing.
Layer #2: A clear message
Your messaging is the bridge between your product and your audience. It's what connects you to your ideal customer. Make sure it's crystal clear, compelling, and consistent across all your marketing channels. This is the power of the StoryBrand Framework.
Layer #3: A well-designed website
Your website is like your online store. It should be user-friendly, look good, and work well on computers and phones. Most importantly, it should be optimized for search engines and encourage people to make purchases. Many businesses spend a lot of money on websites that either don't show up in search results or get people to convert.
Layer #4: An automated sales funnel
How many times have you walked into a store or visited a website and made an instant buying decision? Probably not very often. More commonly, you get input from a salesperson, check out the pros and cons of particular products, and visit other businesses to see what they offer.
Usually, the company that does the best job of walking with you, answering your questions and concerns, and showing how much value they can offer to you ends up getting your business.
That's exactly what a sales funnel is - an intentional process for taking customers through the process of building trust and answering questions so they buy from you. Automating this process means you have a process in place of automatically reaching out to interested parties to turn them into clients. This includes email campaigns, social media campaigns, text messages, and more. The result is fewer sales left on the table and more loyal customers.
Layer #5: SEO and content marketing
SEO is the process of getting your website to rank higher in search engine results. Content marketing is the fuel driving SEO. By creating valuable content addressing your target audience's needs, you attract organic traffic and establish yourself as an authority in your field.
Layer #6: Organic social media
Social media platforms offer a great way to connect with your audience on a personal level, engage with your followers, share valuable content, and build relationships. However, without a sales process optimized for conversions already in place (see #4), you'll spend more time and money to achieve the outcome you desire.
Layer #7: Paid advertising
Paid advertising can be a powerful tool for reaching a wider audience. Whether it's Google Ads or social media ads, use it strategically to complement your other marketing efforts.
Conclusion
Remember, these layers are not steps to follow sequentially. If you have the resources, you could essentially build all the layers at once. Unfortunately, most small businesses don't have an abundance of resources. Understanding these seven layers, helps you know what aspect of marketing to focus on right now.
Don't let marketers instill FOMO in you!
The particular method they're advertising likely helps you when you get to that layer of your marketing. Until then, calmly work on the layer you're in, and know as you build on each layer, beautiful results follow.
Why Is Ad Spend So Much Higher This Summer?
Written by Cliff Stoltzfoos
Hi Everyone,
Are you wondering why paid ad performance cost has been creeping up, or why PPC (pay-per-click) campaigns aren't getting as much traction lately? Well, I want to share some insights that might just clear things up…
There’s a thing our country does every four years, and it can be a hot topic at family gatherings, controversial, and often sticky… any guesses? Yup, Presidential elections! And based on what we are seeing, it's crucial to understand what an election year, especially this one, means for your paid advertising budget and strategy.
Over the past 30 days, we've seen a massive surge in political ad spending, which is eating up ad inventory across platforms like Meta and Google.
Now, when I say "ad inventory," I’m talking about the limited space available for ads on these platforms. Meta and Google know that too many ads lead to ad fatigue, so they cap how many can be shown. But when there's a sudden rush of new players—like political campaigns targeting new demographics—the cost of this limited space skyrockets.
Here's a stat to chew on: in just the last 30 days, political campaigns from both parties have spent over $20 million. That's roughly $680,000 per day just in Meta’s ecosystem! So, if you've noticed more political ads, or if your ads are costing more and performing less, this is part of the reason why.
This doesn’t affect every industry equally. Some niches aren't facing the same level of competition, so their ad costs haven't jumped as dramatically.
So, what’s the good news? That this is temporary!
Once we get through November, ad inventory will open up again, and costs should settle down. But until then, competing with political and pricier ads will be the new norm.
If you’re curious about political ad spend, you can see all this data for yourself on Meta’s site. Meta’s Ad Library Report provides details on what each candidate is spending.
Speaking from personal experience, I’d recommend not sharing the link in a meeting where you want to retain your team's attention 😆.
So, if you’re discouraged about higher ad spend costs, I encourage you to hang in there! We’ll get through this, and we expect ad spend to be normal soon. Thank you for allowing us to serve you!
-Cliff; owner & CEO
P.S. I found this to be pretty astounding—in the time it took me to write this email, over $100,000 has already been spent on political ads! And while you could argue that I’m not a fast typer (which is fair), that’s still a lot of money. Writing this did make me thankful, and now probably you as well, for the team of copywriters we have to handle our writing tasks 😃.
Meet Jordan - Head of Content & Creatives
Jordan is an artist through and through. This is evident in his beautiful graphic design and creative copywriting but shines most brightly in his sensitive and empathetic spirit.
He feels deeply - and that means his "I know how you feel, and I care" statements aren't just blowing smoke. They come from the heart. Rest assured, when you work with Jordan there is zero judgment, only sincere care about meeting your needs.
When he's off the clock Jordan enjoys the visual arts, especially graphite, painting, and colored pencils. He also finds tons of joy in singing. But nothing makes him feel quite as alive as when he is exploring new places and birding with his wife.
Monthly Meme
Do you remember the days when “laptop” and “portable computer” meant something different than today? I have some clear memories of my older brother having a computer setup similar to this!
How Can We Pray For You Or Rejoice With You?
Thank you to those who provide prayer requests - our team appreciates the opportunity to bring your requests to God in prayer in our Monday morning meetings and throughout the week.
It’s part of our mission at LifeX Marketing: Multiplying wholeness in the lives of our team, clients, and communities by living like Jesus.
If you have a way we can pray with your team or rejoice with you, please leave it here.
Thoughts or Comments?
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