Now that you have researched and diagnosed your problem or opportunity, It is time to take your strategy thinking from data to creative insights. I started by writing this blog post about using the information obtained from your research and diagnosis and turning it into insights, concepts, and innovations.

I quickly realized that “being creative” is a terrifying idea. Most people believe creativity is for artists or stand-up comedians. But they need to be more creative. About 80% of people think they are not creative — even schools don’t bother to teach creative Thinking. If I didn’t explain that everyone can be creative, I wouldn’t have any readers — 80% would think reading it is a waste of time, and 20% wouldn’t need it.

 

In this blog post, I want to give you a little background on creativity and show you some of the many techniques you can use to help you reach your objectives.

 

Why is Everyone “Wired” to be Creative?

Creativity is a universal human trait that resides within us, just waiting to be unlocked. Our mind is wired to continuously collect data and store that data into long-term data and short-term data. Then, set up patterns that connect the two. When a pattern is interrupted, it can create a new perspective.

At its core, creativity is an intrinsic human quality. From the early stages of childhood, humans exhibit creative tendencies through imaginative play, drawing, and storytelling. These early expressions of creativity testify to its fundamental presence in our nature.

 

Following are some compelling reasons why we can all be creative. Cross-Pollination of Ideas. Creative Thinking often thrives when ideas from different domains converge. Drawing inspiration from diverse sources, disciplines, and experiences can result in fresh perspectives and innovative solutions. Creative individuals are often adept at connecting seemingly unrelated concepts.

Yes, There Are Failures. Creative endeavors are not immune to setbacks and failures. However, embracing failure as an integral part of the creative process can reduce the fear of making mistakes. It encourages risk-taking and ultimately leads to breakthroughs and novel ideas.

The Power of Collaboration. Collaborative efforts and brainstorming sessions often spark creative ideas. Interacting with others, sharing ideas, and building on collective knowledge can result in innovative solutions that have yet to be achievable in isolation.

Conclusion Creativity is not a scarce resource reserved for a select few; it is an abundant human trait. Anyone can embark on self-discovery, innovation, and personal growth.

 

Is Creativity Intuitive Thinking or Insightful Thinking

Intuitive Thinking is the ability to arrive at insights and conclusions without conscious reasoning or analysis. It is a form of rapid cognition that operates unconsciously, often described as a “gut feeling” or “instinct.” Intuitive Thinking relies on past experiences and knowledge that has been internalized, allowing the individual to make quick judgments and decisions based on patterns and associations. Intuitive Thinking often contrasts with analytical Thinking, which involves conscious reasoning and logical information analysis. While analytical Thinking helps solve complex problems, intuitive Thinking can be valuable when quick decisions are necessary or when information is incomplete or ambiguous. Intuitive Thinking is often associated with creativity and innovation, as it can lead to novel ideas and approaches. However, it can also be influenced by biases and heuristics, leading to errors in judgment.  For example, Newton’s intuitive insight about gravity led to his discovery of the laws of motion.

 

Insightful Thinking is a cognitive process involving sudden and deep understanding or realization of a problem, situation, concept, or relationship. It often occurs when you connect previously unrelated information or experiences, leading to a profound and often transformative understanding. Insight can also manifest as an “aha” moment when a complex or puzzling issue suddenly becomes clear.

Critical characteristics of insight include:

Suddenness: Insights tend to occur abruptly and without warning. They often emerge when an individual grapples with a problem or question for some time, and the solution appears suddenly and unexpectedly.

Connection of Ideas: Insight often involves connecting ideas or experiences that were not previously linked. It can reveal hidden patterns, relationships, or solutions that were not immediately apparent.

Problem Solving: Insight is closely associated with problem-solving by providing that missing piece of the puzzle,allowing individuals to overcome obstacles, find creative solutions, or make sense of complex situations.

Innovation: Many breakthroughs in science, technology, and creativity result from insight. Innovators and inventors often use insights to develop new theories, products, or artistic expressions.

Personal Growth: Insight can also extend to self-awareness and personal growth. It can provide a deeper understanding of one’s emotions, motivations, and behaviors, facilitating personal development and self-improvement.

Transformation: Insight has the power to transform perspectives, beliefs, and paradigms. It can challenge long-held assumptions and lead to a more enlightened or enlightened outlook.

Problem Resolution: Insights can be applied to resolve practical and conceptual problems. They provide a path forward when conventional approaches have proven ineffective.

Conclusion. Insight is a valuable creative process that can lead to profound understanding, innovative solutions, and personal growth. It often emerges due to mental processes such as pattern recognition, associative Thinking, and the integration of diverse knowledge and experiences. Also, cultivating an open and curious mindset can enhance one’s capacity for insight.

 

Strategic Thinking: From Data To Creative Insights

How To Create Insightful, Creative Ideas and Solutions

Generating insightful and creative ideas and solutions involves a complex cognitive process within the mind. Research has provided insights into how the mind generates new or different patterns to create insights: There are over a dozen ways to generate new ideas. Following are some of the most popular ways to create new creative insights, ideas, concepts, and innovative solutions.

I will define five techniques here to give you some ideas of the possible techniques available. I will cover many techniques in other blog posts within the ClickVisor program.

I want to show you how you can create insights and creative solutions to your problems and opportunities. Associative Thinking involves connecting unrelated concepts or experiences stored in memory to form

novel associations or patterns. It’s the basis for many creative insights, enabling the mind to draw connections. between seemingly unrelated ideas. Suppose unexpected cues or associations disrupt or trigger the association or pattern. In that case, a memory pattern can lead to different conclusions, thoughts, or insights. The brain’s ability to make new associations and drawing unexpected findings are fundamental to creativity and problem-solving.

Divergent Thinking: Divergent Thinking is about generating a wide range of unique ideas, solutions, and possibilities in response to a specific question or problem. It encourages exploring multiple perspectives and solutions to a problem, promoting creativity. It’s about generating unique ideas, solutions, and possibilities in response to a specific question or problem. Divergent Thinking is the opposite of Convergent thinking, which focuses on finding a single correct answer to a problem.

Incubation:  Incubation is based on the idea that the subconscious mind continues to work on unresolved issues, and by providing it with the time and space to do so, individuals can experience breakthrough insights and generate creative solutions. During this subconscious processing, the brain works on the problem in the background, making connections and associations. It is often used by writers, inventors, and problem solvers who encounter mental roadblocks or seek to overcome creative challenges.

Metaphorical Thinking: Metaphors and analogies are powerful tools for creative Thinking. It is a cognitive process that involves understanding, explaining, or conceptualizing one thing in terms of another, often dissimilar, by drawing parallels, comparisons, or analogies between them.

Metaphorical Thinking enables us to convey abstract or complex ideas by relating them to more familiar or concrete concepts.

Creative Techniques: This involves various creative techniques, such as mind mapping. This technique involves mapping out a visual and graphic design for organizing, representing, and generating ideas,

information, or concepts in a structured and interconnected manner. It’s a creative and effective tool for brainstorming, problem-solving, note-taking, planning, and learning.

Six Hats is another technique great for groups. Each of the hats represents a phase of the process with a time limit for each phase. By adopting different perspectives through each phase (or hat), teams can systematically explore a problem, generate innovative solutions, and make well-informed decisions. This method encourages a more structured and balanced approach to Thinking. It promotes collaborative problem-solving within a group or team setting.

Conclusion

In summary, creativity is a fundamental aspect of human nature that can be developed and enhanced. It’s not restricted to a select few techniques. With the right mindset, environment, and practice, anyone can generate innovative solutions to problems.

Encouraging and fostering creativity in oneself and others can lead to greater personal fulfillment and contribute to innovative advancements in various fields.

The insight /Innovation module of my online ClickVisor program has more information on generating creative ideas to solve problems and take advantage of opportunities with practical business and marketing strategies.

I like the Random Word technique (interrupting your current concept pattern with a word that disrupts that pattern with new ideas) and the Six Hats method (for teams, which is far more effective than brainstorming).

 

 

 

Telling Your Story: The Power of Marketing Strategy

 

Is your marketing program delivering the results you need to reach your objectives? If not, you are not alone. Many companies have the same result

— but with a marketing strategy, you don’t have to accept poor results. You can tell your story and unleash the power of your marketing strategy.

In this blog post, you’ll discover how your marketing strategy gives you the competitive edge you need to reach and even exceed your goals.

I’ll cover what a marketing strategy is and its many benefits. Why many marketing programs fail, and how to create strategies that work for your company 

Remember, however, that you first need a business strategy. Then, you create your marketing strategy and integrate the two strategies for maximum benefits.  

 

You Need to Examine the Following to Create and Implement Your Marketing Strategy.

 

A marketing strategy is an analysis and roadmap that defines and explains the company’s marketing strategy and activities

required to ensure the marketing strategy is integrated with your business strategy. 

In this blog post, I want to give an overview of marketing strategy and make the copy as easy to scan

and read as possible. I will add more in-depth information in upcoming and published blog posts.

You can sign up for these free blog posts by visiting my website.

Your marketing strategy should examine the following:

Market Research to understand the market, customer needs, preferences, behaviors, and insights into competitors’ activities.

Target Audience: Defining a target audience to reach and engage with.

Positioning and Differentiation determine how the company wants to be

perceived in the market and how it differentiates itself from competitors.

Value Proposition to craft a clear and compelling value proposition with the solutions and benefits customers want and need.  

Marketing Channels to identify how best to reach the target audience, including all media types.   

Messaging and Content to develop messages that address pain points and

solve those problems with the company’s products and services.  

Budget and Resources to allocate limited resources like time, talent, and money to maximize results. 

Timeline and Implementation Plan to create a timeline and coordinate all activities for maximum results. 

Performance Measurement and Analysis to set up metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs)

to measure success and to make data-driven adjustments as needed.   

Adaptability and Flexibility to adjust your strategy based on changing market conditions, customer feedback, and new opportunities.

There is a lot there, and I can’t cover all of them in a single blog post, so I will cover them over several blog posts.

If you are not already subscribed, sign up and get notified when each new blog post is published.  

 

The Crucial Role of Leadership in Crafting Effective Marketing Strategies

 

In this introduction to marketing strategy, I also need to emphasize the critical role of leadership in achieving objectives

before we get into the weeds of details. Leadership drives the growth, shapes the Vision, and guides this process.

So, let’s look at some of the critical tasks required of leadership to create an effective marketing strategy.

 

Leadership. An effective leader envisions the future, anticipates industry shifts, and sets ambitious — yet achievable goals. 

Alignment with Business Goals. Business and marketing strategies must be aligned and

support the company’s purpose. Alignment guarantees a more significant success.

Decision Making. Your knowledge and experience will be required to assess risks and make difficult decisions. 

There will be many opportunities.

Building a collaborative approach. A collective commitment enriches the development

of strategies and infuses the team with a cohesive solution.  

Adaptability. Decisions have to be made, but at the same time, you need

to be able to adapt to new information.  

Communication. Use your communication skills to articulate ideas, goals,

and execution plans so everyone is on board with the strategies. 

Implementation. The lack of i is the number one reason strategies fail: only some are excited

to execute their part of the strategy. Your ability to motivate everyone is critical.

Leadership is more than a title; it’s the driving force behind the capability to create an innovative marketing strategy.

With effective leadership, the possibilities are endless.

 

Marketing Strategy is How You Tell Your Story. 

 

Your business strategy is the company’s point of view. Marketing strategy is from the

customer’s point of view. So, marketing strategy uses the business strategy to guide the marketing strategy.

Still, it uses the same process of defining an achievable and measurable objective, a diagnosis of how to reach it.

Then, it creates coherent programs and tactics to achieve that objective. 

But, marketing strategy is more than just advertising – it’s about connecting with the customer.

Marketing strategy comprises three major components: targeted marketing, the business offering, and achieving a competitive advantage. 

Then, you design a cohesive execution plan. Once implementation starts, you must measure and consistently improve your results.

Your marketing strategy is not only communicating with prospects and turning them into customers.

It’s about connecting with the customer’s mind where the buying decisions are made. 

The following are key elements to consider in your marketing strategy. There is a lot more information in the marketing strategy module.

Crafting your value proposition

While this is a critical element of your business strategy, you must find the most effective way to

articulate this vital concept. It takes time and will require testing to make it effective.

Differentiation gives you a competitive advantage.

 Differentiation sets your product or service apart from competitors. It provides a Value Perception:

When you differentiate effectively, you create the perception of more excellent value in customers’ minds.

 It can attract new customers who are seeking something distinct or innovative. It can also help

retain existing customers by offering them unique benefits and reducing price sensitivity.

Differentiation also contributes to brand building by creating a memorable and recognizable

identity. Strong brands often command higher prices and customer loyalty. 

Additionally, differentiation doesn’t exist in isolation; it needs to be integrated into your overall marketing and business strategy..

Positioning clarifies where your brand stands in the market.

 Positioning provides a clear direction and focus for all marketing efforts. Positioning guides the

selection of your target audience. By understanding where your product fits in the market,

you can identify and target the most relevant customer segments.

Positioning ensures that your marketing messages are consistent across all channels and touchpoints.

This consistency reinforces the desired perception of your brand or product.

 Positioning is vital in marketing strategy because it provides direction, differentiation, and a clear identity

for your brand or product. It also aligns all aspects of your marketing strategy and business

activities to create a cohesive and compelling message in customers’ minds.

Other techniques like Search Engine Optimization (SEO) are designed to implant the brand’s

offering into the mind of the targeted consumer. 

Marketing strategy is an effective way to drive traffic, build brand awareness, and take advantage

of the many digital opportunities. According to sixads.com, about 54% of social media users use social platform

s to research products and brands, and 89% of consumers who follow a particular brand will purchase from that brand.

 

There Are Many Challenges You Will Encounter Along The Way

 

You will face many challenges when your marketing efforts need to meet your expectations.

A few of the primary reasons include

The lack of a clear strategy: Companies often engage in ad hoc tactics that need more cohesion

 and direction with a well-defined marketing strategy. This lack of a clear strategy

can lead to scattered efforts that fail to resonate with the target audience.

Poor Audience Understanding results in ineffective messaging. Effective marketing

requires an in-depth understanding of the audience to tailor messages accordingly.

Inadequate Resources, which can limit budgets, workforce, or time, can result in subpar marketing campaigns.  

 

Effective marketing requires a holistic approach that aligns with business objectives and

keeps pace with the dynamic nature of markets and cucumber behavior.

 

 How Your Marketing Strategy Gives You a Competitive Edge

 

With a well-defined marketing strategy, you will enjoy several significant benefits over

your competitors who need an effective strategy. Here are a few of these benefits.

A clear direction and roadmap enable you to make better decisions and focus on the most critical tasks.

Targeted Audience Engagement: With a strategy, the company can better identify and understand its target audience

Consistent Branding: A marketing strategy ensures consistent branding across all communication channels.

Consistent branding creates a cohesive and memorable brand image, which makes it easier for customers to recognize and trust the company.

Competitive Positioning: A well-crafted marketing strategy helps the company define its unique

value proposition and positioning in the market. Positioning sets you apart from competitors.

Adaptability: A strategy often includes provisions for adapting to changing market conditions.

This Flexibility allows the company to adjust tactics quickly, keeping them ahead of the curve.

Long-Term Vision: Marketing strategy typically includes long-term goals and Vision. This forward-thinking

approach helps the company anticipate industry trends, invest in relevant areas, and maintain a competitive advantage over time. 

Data-Driven Insights. A data-driven approach enables the company to refine its tactics based on actual results.

At the same time, competitors without a strategy might lack the necessary insights to make informed decisions.

Efficient Resource Allocation: This resource optimization allows them to invest in areas that

truly drive results, which could give them an edge over competitors who overspend or underspend.

 

Monitor Your Marketing Programs

 

Marketing performance measures marketing campaigns’ success and shows how healthy campaigns are

tracking toward key performance indicators. They are also essential elements of any campaign,

and marketing teams need them to understand whether their marketing strategy is successful.

 Following are some metrics that Amazon suggests for different channels that you should consider:

They will help you make better decisions about optimizing your programs.

Email marketing: Keep track of all the elements of your email marketing program, such as as possible,

not just opens, forwards, and unsubscribes at a minimum.

Digital marketing: Keep track of as much data as possible, such as demographics, who clicked, audience, pages viewed, costs, growth, etc.  

Social media: channels, audiences, followers, impressions, clicks, specific types and messages of the contents, etc.,  

Website: Monitor traffic, pages viewed, bounce rate, time spent on the site, new viewers, traffic sources, conversions, etc.  

Content marketing: blog traffic, amount of Content shared, content downloads, qualified leads 

through lead generation forms and the progress of prospects without the sales funnel.

Video: impressions and total viewing time, followers, comments. Etc.

Sales: with direct sales, sales team response time, sales call volume, and sales call reviews

Revenue: how much revenue each channel generates, the cost of that revenue, repeat sales, and client turnover and profits. 

SEO: organic traffic, average keyword rankings, keyword search volume, and 

Quality: Also measure quality score, reviews, and monthly recurring revenue. 

 

Conclusion

 

Marketing strategy enables you to effectively communicate your core value proposition and achieve a sustainable competitive advantage.

You have to sell your products or services by convincing them you can solve their problem or need. And to do that,

you have to reach them in their mind where the buying decision is made. Marketing strategy is a powerful way to do that.

The research required to create your marketing strategy helps you understand your prospects and customers.

It enables you to deliver products and services people want. However, it would be best to keep up with the many changes in the marketplace. 

With today’s digital information sources and availability, small businesses can access hyper-detailed information

about prospective customers. You will be able to get other behaviors like online activity, buying activity,

video activity, and if they are getting their information from phone apps or a laptop computer.

Marketing strategy helps you create, differentiate, position your brand, and convert those

leads into customers. It also helps maximize your return on investment and also helps minimize the sales cycle.

If you want to grow your business and market share, a marketing strategy is a must-do and worth more than the time it takes.

Take These Four Steps to Get Your Marketing Strategy Underway

 

A marketing strategy is a detailed plan of a company’s promotional efforts across various platforms

and channels. It includes objectives, target audience profiles, content creation steps, key performance indicators,

and other components. Hubspot.com identifies the following details in a marketing strategy.

In addition, I cover several other components and objectives like positioning, creating

Differentiation, value propositions, brand creation, and more in other blog posts and articles.

Step One: Marketing Objectives. 

Start with the overall goal of the marketing program. Then, the objectives for each strategy element 

and the objectives of each communications program or tactic you plan to use. All of these must be in sync

with the business and marketing strategy. Again, make them achievable and measurable. With every objective, be as specific as possible. 

 Step Two: Client/Prospect Analysis

Marketing is about knowing your prospects and clients. Not just geographic, psychographic, and location,

but what’s in their mind. Clients and prospects may already have perceptions and

opinions about your products and services and those of your competitors. You want to find out if they do and what they are. 

This information is what your marketing will be about – creating a preferred space in their mind

for your product. In today’s competitive world, you must own a piece of real estate in your prospect’s mind.

 

Once you understand your position and your competitors’ positions, you can begin to create your marketing programs, including:

developing and maintaining your band,

differentiating your product from the competition,  

positioning your product well in the prospect’s mind.

You can now begin designing and creating the message you want to send your prospects,

including advertisements, brochures, websites, white papers, video messages, content marketing, blogs, podcasts, publicity, and more.

Step Three: Competitive Analysis

Knowing your competition is critical when creating your marketing strategy. For example, compare

your business model against your competitors. This analysis will give you information and a visual perspective

and make sharing this information with all your employees easy. Analyzing each business model

element will enable you to look for weaknesses and opportunities to exploit. 

Step Four: Marketing Budget

Your budget depends on the programs you want to implement. Still, it also depends on the targeted market

or niche selected. You can start with a definite value proposition for a targeted

small niche market. As profits increase, you can expand the target market.

You can develop your marketing programs more quickly with the resources (time, talent, and money)

and an agreed-upon strategy. Also, the marketing budget must sync with your plan’s objectives and tactics.