One Trick Ponies Get Shot: For Everyone

The leading interactive internet marketing agency

HAND-WAVY CONTENT IDEATION

STUFF

ONE TRICK PONIES GET SHOT STRATEGY, SERVICES & WHY WE GET FIRED

Ian Lurie @portentint

www.portent.com

CEO & Founder

portent.co/onetrickpony

Yes, like this, no ‘m’.

REMEMBER THIS, IT’S IMPORTANT

THE PROBLEM

WHAT ‘STRATEGY’ IS

HOW TO BE STRATEGIC

1

2

3

THE PROBLEM

1

I GOT FIRED

THE 3 STAGES OF GRIEF

J

hey, no worries, we did great work together, i

understand. you can hire us again when you leave that dump hehehehehe.

MATURE ACCEPTANCE

J we did great work

together. they can hire us again when they

leave that dump hehehehehe.

RATIONALIZATION

L

what the hell?!!!

FRUSTRATION

WHY?!!!

I DID A SURVEY

0%

50%

100%

Agency Client

FIRED BECAUSE… WE/THEY FAILED TO DELIVER VALUE

PORTENT NET PROMOTER SCORE: PASSIVES & DETRACTORS

Cost

Transparency

Value

WHY?!!!

CHECK OUT THE SEO!!!!

BUT WHY?!!!

HEY! PRODUCTS ARE EASIER!

LET’S ‘PRODUCTIZE’ OUR SERVICES!!!

sigh

DESIGN SEARCH MARKETING

LOCAL SEARCH CONTENT MARKETING

LINK BUILDING PAID LINKS

WAP INBOUND MARKETING

SEO VIDEO SEO

SOCIAL MEDIA PAID SOCIAL MEDIA

BLOG POSTING GUEST POSTING

INSTAGRAM MARKETING PINTEREST MARKETING

BANNER ADS MEDIA BUYING DEVELOPMENT

E-COMMERCE DEVELOPMENT MOBILE

RICH MEDIA INFLUENCER MARKETING

DIGITAL PR AFFINITY MARKETING

PERFORMANCE MARKETING AFFILIATE MARKETING

ARBITRAGE CONTENT SPINNING

CROWDSOURCED UPVOTING TWITTER MARKETING

FACEBOOK MARKETING

THE TACTIC IS NOW THE PRODUCT

THE PRODUCT BECOMES A HIGHER RANKING

THE PRODUCT BECOMES A PRETTY WEB PAGE

THE PRODUCT BECOMES ONE FEATURE

CHECK OUT THE SEO!!!!

check out my digital content

app mobile marketing

CHECK OUT THE SEO!!!!

OUR PRODUCT IS JUST LIKE _____

BUT FOR ___

IF THE TACTIC IS THE PRODUCT YOU’RE A ONE-TRICK PONY

CHECK OUT THE SEO!!!!

NOOOOOOOOOO

THE TACTIC BECOMES THE GOAL

TACTICS LOOK EASIER OVER TIME

TACTICS SEEM LESS VALUABLE OVER TIME

DIMINISHING RETURNS

“WE’VE NOW EDITED 32 TITLE TAGS” “TRAFFIC FROM ORGANIC SEARCH IS UP 10%”

“THIS WEEK, WE DID THESE 10 THINGS”

THE CLIENT DOESN’T BUY A TACTIC OR A FEATURE

THE CLIENT BUYS AN OUTCOME

0%

50%

100%

Agency Client

FIRED BECAUSE… WE/THEY FAILED TO DELIVER VALUE

MAKE THE OUTCOME THE PRODUCT AGAIN

CHECK OUT THE SEO!!!!

yes please, strategy! better

than bullets!

WHAT ‘STRATEGY’ IS

2

FIRST, FEW MYTHS MUST DIE

$40,000 please

$40,000 pleaseNO

“WE NEED A 2-YEAR STRATEGY”

“WE NEED A 2-YEAR STRATEGY” NO

THERE IS A STRATEGY

THERE IS A STRATEGY NO

STRATEGY = GOAL

STRATEGY = GOAL NO

STRATEGY A PLAN OF ACTION OR POLICY DESIGNED TO ACHIEVE A MAJOR GOAL

STRATEGY A PLAN OF ACTION OR POLICY DESIGNED TO ACHIEVE A MAJOR GOAL NO

STRATEGY ISN’T A THING

A PLAN IS A THING

STRATEGY IS AN APPROACH

STRATEGY TESTS & EXPLAINS TACTICS IN TERMS OF AN OUTCOME

STRATEGY TESTS & ADJUSTS TACTICS IN TERMS OF AN OUTCOME

STRATEGY DRIVES GOOD TACTICAL DECISION-MAKING

HOW TO BE STRATEGIC

3

FOUR COMPONENTS OF STRATEGY

SET GOAL(S)

FIND PARAMETERS

USE THE FEEDBACK LOOP

DELIBERATE REPETITION

1

2

3

4

OH, AND DON’T FORGET

STRATEGY WEEEEEEEEEE

LURIE SPACE TOURISM

GOAL 1

A MEASURABLE OUTCOME THAT MEANS SUCCESS

YOU ARE HERE  

OR HIGHER CUSTOMER VALUE

OKEE DOKEY

PARAMETERS 2

CONSTRAINTS, OPPORTUNITIES AND METRICS

OPPORTUNITY: BIG BUDGET

OPPORTUNITY: GREAT PRODUCTS

OPPORTUNITY: LOW BODY COUNT

webpagetest.org

OPPORTUNITY: AWFUL SITE

WEEEEEEEEEE

Great space tourism by the leading space tourism company on Earth, Lurie Space Tourism. Our space tours are the best kind of tourism you’ll find.

We promote and provide tours of Mars and the moon. Our Mars trip is the best one-way option for Mars travelers. Our moon option is a fantastic round-trip moon experience for moon travelers.

Lurie Space Tourism99% survival rate!!!

1.800.SPA.CERS

Free space sickness kits!

Fastest transit to Mars! Start your new life today!

Space travel is cool!

Another happy customer

webpagetest.org

OPPORTUNITY: AWFUL CONTENT

Great space tourism by the leading space tourism company on Earth, Lurie Space Tourism. Our space tours are the best kind of tourism you’ll find.

We promote and provide tours of Mars and the moon. Our Mars trip is the best one-way option for Mars travelers. Our moon option is a fantastic round-trip moon experience for moon travelers.

ASSET: AMAZING IMAGERY

YOU ARE HERE  

CONSTRAINT: TIME

CURRENT METRICS

FEEDBACK LOOP 3

EVALUATION AND SELECTION OF TACTICS

TACTIC/IDEA

DOES THIS VIOLATE CONSTRAINTS?

WHAT’S THE PRIMARY IMPACT?

WHAT’S THE SECONDARY IMPACT?

WHAT’S THE COST?

PITCH/PLAN

REFINE

MEASURE TACTICS AGAINST OUTCOME

ASK

IS THIS TACTIC, GIVEN PARAMETERS, THE BEST WAY TO ACHIEVE THE OUTCOME?

JUSTIFY AND EXPLAIN THIS TACTIC IN TERMS OF THE OUTCOME

DELIBERATE REPETITION

4

SCHEDULE REGULAR STRATEGIC SESSIONS

ENSURE OUTCOME REMAINS THE FOCUS

THE WHOLE TEAM

NO PROCEDURAL STUFF

2 HOURS, MINIMUM

PUT IDEAS THROUGH THE FEEDBACK LOOP

LEAVE WITH AT LEAST ONE IDEA

SCHEDULE REGULAR CLIENT CHECKINS

PRESENT YOUR IDEAS TO THE CLIENT

EXAMPLES

IDEA 1: REDESIGN THE LST SITE

WEEEEEEEEEE

Great space tourism by the leading space tourism company on Earth, Lurie Space Tourism. Our space tours are the best kind of tourism you’ll find.

We promote and provide tours of Mars and the moon. Our Mars trip is the best one-way option for Mars travelers. Our moon option is a fantastic round-trip moon experience for moon travelers.

Lurie Space Tourism99% survival rate!!!

1.800.SPA.CERS

Free space sickness kits!

Fastest transit to Mars! Start your new life today!

Space travel is cool!

Another happy customer

Rewrite content $15,000.00 Information architecture $55,000.00

Design $65,000.00 Wordpress 12.1 setup $45,000.00

Messaging $25,000.00

Mental remarketing setup $151,000.00

Total $356,000.00

*not adjusted for inflation

JUSTIFY AND EXPLAIN THIS TACTIC IN TERMS OF THE OUTCOME

CURRENT METRICS

OPPORTUNITY: ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

OPPORTUNITY: BIG BUDGET

ASSET: GREAT IMAGES

CONSTRAINT: 1 YEAR TO MEET GOAL

TIME TO LAUNCH: 3 MONTHS

INCREASE CONVERSION RATE TO .6%

$22,500,000.00

9 months, remember

IDEA 2: SOCIAL AUDIENCE BUILDING

Mental remarketing $15,000.00 Post creation $55,000.00

Drone reposting $65,000.00 In-brain sentiment analysis $25,000.00

Total $160,000.00

JUSTIFY AND EXPLAIN THIS TACTIC IN TERMS OF THE OUTCOME

CURRENT METRICS

OPPORTUNITY: BIG BUDGET

CONSTRAINT: 1 YEAR TO MEET GOAL

TIME TO LAUNCH: 3 MONTHS

TIME TO IMPACT ?????

10 CUSTOMERS ATTRIBUTED LAST YEAR

DOUBLE AUDIENCE = 20 CUSTOMERS, AT BEST

$200,000.00

assumes instant impact

COULD BE MUCH BIGGER, BUT WE DON’T KNOW FOR CERTAIN

PARK IT FOR LATER

IDEA 3: HIRING AN IN-HOUSE TEAM

Full-time design team $210,000.00 Writer $55,000.00

Strategist $190,000.00 Nerd $90,000.00

Total $545,000.00

JUSTIFY AND EXPLAIN THIS TACTIC IN TERMS OF THE OUTCOME

CURRENT METRICS

OPPORTUNITY: BIG BUDGET

CONSTRAINT: 1 YEAR TO MEET GOAL

AGENCY COST: $750,000.00

TIME TO LAUNCH: 3 MONTHS

TIME TO IMPACT: 6 MONTHS?

HUGE IMPACT

BUT IT’LL TAKE 9 MONTHS

DISCUSS W/ THE CLIENT, BUT FOR NOW…

SET GOAL(S)

FIND PARAMETERS

USE THE FEEDBACK LOOP

DELIBERATE REPETITION

1

2

3

4

CLIENTS & CUSTOMERS BUY AN OUTCOME

SO SELL THE OUTCOME THEY WANT

STRATEGY RECRUITS AND EMPLOYS TACTICS IN TERMS OF THAT OUTCOME

AND CONNECTS THE TWO.

Many services companies fail because they

confuse tactics with outcome. A deliberate,

strategic approach can fix that.

STRATEGY SAVES ALL ONE-TRICK PONIES BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT ONE-TRICK ANY MORE

CHECK OUT THE SEO!!!!

i am da boss!!!

ON KINDLE bit.ly/onetrick

The leading interactive internet marketing agency

HAND-WAVY CONTENT IDEATION

STUFF

OPEN FIRE Ian Lurie @portentint www.portent.com

(METAPHORICALLY SPEAKING)

portent.co/onetrickpony