An unbelievable Connection between Running and Marketing

Believe it or not, marketing and running share many similarities. You could say even too many! I have thought long and hard about the common thread between these two significant areas of passion in my life. On the one hand, I have an agency business, which is defined by stress, deadlines, communication, tasks, wishes, capabilities, and all those ups and downs. On the other hand, I love running and the beautiful things that go along with sports activity. You battle yourself and challenge your limits. And at the end of the day, there are various physical and mental benefits, such as the feeling of utmost happiness.

These two races encourage us to venture outside the comfort zone. Both are unique in their own right, but then again, they are set up in the same way. You might be wondering what way is that?

Planning

There is a tremendous amount of work and training that go into half-marathon and marathon. Neglecting them is certainly not the best course of action. In fact, it is a recipe for disaster. To achieve the end goal, we have to plan, sacrifice, and show discipline. It’s similar in digital marketing. Strategic approach and step-by-step planning are conducive to campaign success. Only by having a solid game plan and adhering to all its elements can you create engaging stories for your clients.

Everything else in the world can occur by a stroke of chance. However, it’s clear that with marketing, nothing is accidental.

Three Points of Focus

A runner’s training program has three different components: distance training, middle tempo training, and interval sessions. Simply put, this regimen is the best way to prepare for the race. An effective marketing plan entails the creation of content tailored to the relevant target group (distance training). We also actively collaborate with brand ambassadors and interest groups (middle tempo). Finally, we have to kill it with promotion and performance marketing (interval training).

Warming Up

Warm-up is a crucial habit of a runner. All elite competitors will tell you the same thing: it reduces the likelihood of injury, prepares the muscles for strain, and raises the body temperature to a functional level. When engaged in marketing campaigns, we need to keep your mind fresh and focused too. We can accomplish this by gaining a clear overview of the campaign before the launch. Also, it’s essential to instill confidence in yourself and your team. That way, you decrease the chances of making errors.

The Gear

We can all agree that runners and marketers need proper gear. It’s their primary tool of the trade. Sneakers that suit the type of running discipline prevent not only injuries but also boost performance. What is more, it is vital to avoid racing with sneakers that have not been shaped through use. As for marketing, one has to plan on how to best use tools and services. Namely, it is crucial to pick solutions wisely and have experience in utilizing them. Our business practice has shown that fast computers can double the output of individual workers.

Skimping and compromising are not real options in this case. It is a mistake similar to running a marathon wearing a cotton T-shirt. It would be soaked in sweat after a half an hour and stick to your body. This is bound to cause discomfort, and it can even jeopardize health by giving you a cold.

Charging

During long-distance competitions, hydration and body energy balance are essential to completing a race successfully. I know this from personal experience, as I once paid the toll of not knowing. When you run a marathon or half-marathon, you have energy bars, water stations, and gels by the road. They propel you closer to set goals and the finish line.Similarly, marketing campaigns lead to fatigue. Audience interest declines and your performance takes a dip. That is when you need to breathe new life into the campaign, do something different, and produce fresh content. Likewise, you have to initiate micro-campaigns to engage the target group better. Lastly, monitoring and optimization of campaigns, alongside interventions, play a fundamental role in improving the outcomes.

These steps bring renewed vigor and give your marketing endeavors a nice boost-up.

Adoption of new technologies

Up until a few years ago, measuring the effect of training involved a stopwatch, pedometer, and manual distance calculations. These days, it is hard to find a runner without a GPS watch that monitors everything. When we say everything, we mean the distance, heart rate, calorie consumption, and altitude variations. If we do not wear a watch, there is a smartphone to fulfill these functions. In a digital industry, it’s hardly possible to imagine success without tapping into trends and new technologies. The sector is developing at a rapid pace, and unless we leverage emerging technology, we face the prospects of going under.

Excitement before the Race

All right, preparations are over, and we are bursting with zest. We want to give it our best and finish the race. The feeling is indescribable– it’s the reasons why we do what we do. In our agency, we call it “getting fired up.” There is also the hashtag #agencylife, which depicts this well. After all the preparations and strategizing, we are ready to put in maximum effort in order to reach results and meet indicators in the sales funnel. Both the plan and ultimate success hinge on teamwork.

This is the single most important facet of agency life.

Stick to the Plan

The race is finally on. However, you should not get ahead of yourself or get carried by emotions and excitement. Rushing too much could lead you to burn yourself out quickly. You are better off conserving your energy. These are all pieces of advice given to new marathon runners.

During the marketing campaign execution stage, it is the same story. We have to follow the predefined steps, measure the results, and make corrections. We cannot spend the whole budget right away; instead, make an effort to spend resources smartly.

When racing, we have smartwatches to guide us to the finish line. On the other hand, in the case of digital endeavors, we can rely on analytics to see the campaign through.

Help from colleagues

If running was easy, everyone would do it. However, because it is not, we must support the runners who stumble so that they can overcome adversity. Now, what separates agencies from freelancers, for instance, is the teamwork. Sometimes, up to 10 people work on the same campaign. Yes, it can happen we encounter a problem, run out of ideas, and experience burnout. Nevertheless, the support of colleagues comes as a solution in these situations.

Newcomers can supercharge the creative process with their ideas, solutions, and concepts. They supply the collective with a wave of much-needed energy.

Ambassadors and Influencers

In recent years, we can see pacers in every race. These seasoned runners know the optimal tempo and lead the whole group, which has its own pace. The pace refers to the number of minutes one needs to cover in one kilometer, and a training plan usually sets it. However, it is pacers who rally other runners and motivate them to endure until the end. In other words, it is their task to aid everyone in reaching their goals.

When it comes to marketing, we cooperate with brand ambassadors, influencers, and experts. We can also count on fans to reinforce the brand and steer other followers. They act as mentors and trendsetters in their groups. And as long as they are relevant to our target audience, they are a welcome addition to the mix.

Maintaining the Headspace

An experienced marathon runner must know how to deal with personal demons, as well as challenges of constant pain and discomfort. They say that the marathon is won in the head and that the biggest obstacle is the battle with oneself. Along similar lines, an accomplished communicator has to display exceptional skills when handling clients and balancing their needs and own business capacities. Moreover, this individual must tackle everything from the crisis, sales, and post-sales to client satisfaction and discontent. These tasks require a strong set of soft skills that allow one to navigate even the most challenging aspects of running a business. In all these instances, communicators should remain firmly on the ground. This is to say not take things personality and defuse tensions and conflicts.

A cool head tends to win the day.

Not the End, but a New Beginning

After the race, the biggest reward is a sense of accomplishment, euphoria, satisfaction, and fulfillment you feel. They say this sensation can only be matched by the effects of drugs on our organism. Of course, not everything revolves around that. One should also find time to celebrate the achievement and identify mistakes for future reference. In the aftermath of marketing campaigns, we undergo a similar procedure. We write reports, measure the effects, and evaluate the whole process. This is a pool of knowledge for the upcoming campaigns.

The similarities go on. Running can help you stay healthier, raise the level of conditioning, and build good habits in life. We think digital marketing also calls for proper shape. You have to stay in tune with trends and technologies while remaining flexible and quick on your feet. This approach allows you to adapt on the fly and endure the pressure. It carries you forward and makes you jump out of bed in the morning. It teaches you to cherish the fact that you do the job you love. Of course, it does not hurt do also make room in the schedule for physical training as well.

Some might argue we are a bit extreme, operating on a pendulum between opposites. For me, it is all about venturing outside the comfort zone, a matter of pushing through excuses.

If we are committed to making something, why not make a real difference? After all, marketing comes down to being different and setting yourself apart from the industry average.

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