One of the hardest things to do—for any individual, organization, or business—is to define a vision and strategy. It involves diving deep into one’s strengths and weaknesses, while having a clear view of the market opportunities and threats. Talking strategy usually means dealing with uncomfortable realities, as well as risking disagreement with others.
It’s much easier to deal in tactics.
For example, we could have a very benefit-oriented conversation about the pros and cons of certain social media networks, and how to post effectively and engagingly on social media for marketing purposes. But that’s a fairly useless conversation if social media is later determined to be unattractive or unsustainable as part of your overall marketing strategy, given other tactics available to you.
However, tactics are seductive because they are tangible, and offer the feeling of improvement and progress. But what if that progress is taking you in the wrong direction?
My column this month at Publishers Weekly tackles how to reduce your marketing anxiety by getting clear on your strategy first.
Jane Friedman has spent nearly 25 years working in the book publishing industry, with a focus on author education and trend reporting. She is the editor of The Hot Sheet, the essential publishing industry newsletter for authors, and was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World in 2023. Her latest book is The Business of Being a Writer (University of Chicago Press), which received a starred review from Library Journal. In addition to serving on grant panels for the National Endowment for the Arts and the Creative Work Fund, she works with organizations such as The Authors Guild to bring transparency to the business of publishing.
[…] Friedman follows a similar approach. In a recent article, she discusses why being mindful of a general marketing strategy is much more efficient than […]
That’s a helpful reminder. Thanks.
‘Vision’ is the word one should stick to.
And one should form a vision after a thorough exploration of one’s abilities and where he or she stands in the overall scenario.
Sometimes, so much is going in the head, and it’s common to lose focus. Sometimes we try to over-market (specially social media.) These moves should be effective and not aggressive.
A nice, crisp and important article.