Take our 2023 Trends Survey for a chance to win a 020: Marketing is a long game |
Billy Napier, current head coach for the Florida Gators football team, was once asked about a risky call he took, going for a touchdown instead of accepting an easy field goal when his team was already up. They won the game 49–14, and he said, “Scared money don’t make money.”
But the idea is just as true about marketing as it is for football or investing. And this is because nothing is guaranteed in life, which makes risk a part of every decision. If you don’t risk anything — if you never click send on that email — you’ll never win a new supporter, member, or donor.
The best investors know that day trading, or short-term investing, usually doesn’t pay off — actually 97% of day traders end up losing money. This is why the best investors and the best marketers are in it for the long haul.
They aren’t chasing the next shiny stock or social channel. They don’t grow so confident that they think they can predict the future. Instead, they play the long game, investing in their community, telling compelling stories, and listening closely to their audience’s responses.
Snackable snippets |
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Unsiloing marketing and fundraising teams 💡 Mallory Erickson has helped nonprofits raise over $75 million in funding, and she’s on a mission to unlock even more funding for nonprofits by unsiloing their marketing and fundraising teams. When everyone’s telling the same story, there are so many more opportunities to create meaningful relationships with supporters and donors. Don’t miss her special guest appearance on Feathr’s Flight School today at 2 pm EST. Staying in the present with your audience 📖 It’s easy to get caught up thinking about the future. We want to know what stock is going to perform next month or we can’t help but dream about our upcoming vacation. And while there is value in anticipating possibilities in marketing, too, it’s more about making the best decision you can with the information you have today. Instead of anticipating where your audience will be tomorrow, paying attention to where they are today and meeting them there is step one. “Life is too short just to have a job” 🎥 Ryan Roslansky, CEO at LinkedIn, spoke with Angela Ahrendts, CEO at Burberry and SVP at Apple, who recently became chair of Save the Children International. She talks through her incredible career and how she found opportunity knocking at her door. For her, “Life is too short just to have a job.” And that passion and tenacity has pushed her toward ever increasing heights and meaning. How to invest in short video 📖 We don’t think that we can predict the future, but short-form video content has been gaining steam as an effective tool for telling your story, especially among Gen Zers. Organizations often feel like they need to produce incredibly branded materials, but often the most effective videos are the ones that show off your true personality. So don’t start with a full-fledged production team, and don’t get too stuck in other people’s trends. One of my favorite tips that the team at Candid gives is this: “If it’s not your thing, don’t do it.” Video is going to increase as a format, but don’t get stuck playing someone else’s game if it isn’t effective for your audience. Consistency, consistency, consistency. This is the word that comes to mind during the Nonprofit Marketing Unplugged session with Taylor Shanklin, CEO and founder at Barlele. She said, “What hasn’t changed is trying to understand and identify your audience and answer why you matter to them, speaking to them in a way that moves the needle for them.” There are a lot of distractions out there, but knowing what to spend your limited time on is essential in pushing forward. |
In the news |
FOX sold off all its ad space for the Super Bowl — and it wasn’t on sale; a 30-second spot cost between $6 and $7 million. Like many others, the commercials are often my favorite part of the game, and I agree with this list that gives Popcorners the win this year.
Google isn’t letting Microsoft get too far a lead in the AI chat game. They’ve already begun beta testing their response, Bard, which will be released to the public in the coming weeks.
Something for your inspiration folder |
Rihanna is expecting her second child soon, and she still gave a brilliant 💎 performance during the Super Bowl halftime show. That’s simply incredible!