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 her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
[…] 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.