Assessing Marketing Strategy During Growing Pains

Having a good marketing strategy developed for a company that is trying to pull through the growing pains phase of its existence is crucial. This is because your marketing strategy is something that focuses on your external perception. If your company is going through growing pains and is successful in working through all of these challenges, then having a marketing strategy in hand will be absolutely crucial for you to completely get through it. 

This is because growing pains or crises of any sort will not be kept in house. Signs of problems will be on display, and depending on the severity of the internal issues, they might be rather pronounced. Therefore, while the public itself might not know all of the issues in play, there is a very good chance that once these issues have been resolved, they will not be fully aware of this. In fact, you might have even lost valuable segments of your client basis because they have perceived competitors are better equipped to address their needs.

In order to get through the growing pains successfully and emerge in a much stronger position, consider the following steps:

Identify Current Shortcomings: Obviously, you are likely doing this in some capacity across the board. However, what you need to focus on here is not the internal issues, but the external issues. How are the internal problems with your growing pains manifesting themselves to the public? How does the public perceive those shortcomings as well as their severity?

Identify the Needed Messaging: Once you have managed to identify the shortcomings, the next step that you need to do is to settle on the messaging that is required. If customers view it as an inconvenience, then you can find a way to emphasize that you are aware that there are aggravations but that the solution is on the way and these issues will begin to disappear.

However, if you find yourself in a situation that is more severe (with customers having left and likely bad PR is going around about your business), then you have some significant messaging that needs to occur. In addition to apologizing and announcing that you have fixed things, you need to find a way to make sure that this message gets out. You might not be able to win some (or most) of your customers back, but if you focus on trying to minimize the damage and build good will with those who have been alienated, you have made the best steps that you can possibly make. 

Plan Accordingly: Once you have identified the messaging that is needed, determine how you will proceed. Most likely, it will need to be tailored to your different communication channels. Additionally, you need to think about finding ways to communicate with customers one on one when possible. When developing your plan, make sure you give a clear option for how you can get feedback from customers.

Implement Immediately: The situation that you are facing is very much like an emergency surgery. The longer you take, the more likely you will face even worse damage. Urgency is of the utmost importance here. If you do not make it a priority to get your plans into action, then be prepared to have even more work to do.

Adapt as Required: If done right, your strategy can begin to change focus, especially if your company has gotten through the growing pains issues. The important thing here is to monitor public perception and make sure that your strategy is successfully addressing your concerns.

It is quite possible that this will be a full time job. If part of your problem is that you do not have an officer in charge of marketing, then hire them as soon as possible. The crisis might be over when they come on, but at least you will be better positioned moving forward.

In conclusion, an effective marketing strategy is a must to help your company escape from growing pains. In fact, if you do it right, not only can you win back people you have lost but also you can use it as a springboard for renewed growth and progress. The key though is that you need to work quickly and effectively. If you do not, be prepared for a long and painful struggle that you might not be able to win.