The one thing you've left off your marketing plan

When we think about marketing in very general terms, we so often focus on the external factors. How can we get the public to buy into our product or service? It makes sense because that's where your sales come from and that's the reason your company exists. Or at the very least that's what will keep your company going.

But how often do companies focus on internal marketing? Yes. That's marketing to the people within the organization. Now you might be thinking why would I market to them? They work here and should already believe in the brand and want to sell it because that's their job. 

But here's what an internal marketing looks like...

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Transcript

Kirsten Maarschalk 0:13

When we think about marketing in very general terms, we so often focus on the external factors. How can we get the public to buy into our product or service? It makes sense because that's where your sales come from and that's the reason your company exists. Or at the very least that's what will keep your company going. But how often do companies focus on internal marketing? Yes. That's marketing to the people within the organization. Now you might be thinking why would I market to them? They work here and should already believe in the brand and want to sell it because that's their job. But here's what an internal marketing looks like. It's certainly not delivering Facebook ads to your staff or handing out pamphlets in the canteen, which I wouldn't recommend the pamphlet approach anyway, but that's a conversation for another day. You need to get them to buy in, to feel a part of the bigger picture. So they're not just working for a salary at the end of the month, but for the benefits that will come from the greatest success of your team, it's about embracing a set of shared values. When done correctly, you'll achieve employee advocacy of which the benefits are far more powerful. In fact, the reach that your employees get when they share a post goes 561% further than your company's posts and leads generated through employee advocacy are seven times more likely to convert. This is because when employees feel really connected to your brand, the message is genuine. They will want to talk about it at every possible opportunity. And your staff turnover will naturally decrease. I'd like to share an example with you that I experienced in my early twenties, I worked for the skincare company, Clarins, and truly felt a part of their story. Even to this day. I'm a huge advocate of Clarins and would be the first one to tell you which products to buy and what. What Clarins did exceptionally well from an internal marketing perspective was that they made each one of us experts, regardless of our role within the company we were trained on every single product, not only what was in the range and how much it costs, but which ingredients went into them, how they were sustainably sourced. And we were even trained on application. We were included in the international makeup artists events and got some of the best kept secrets from the leaders of Clarins Paris, we were all a part of the big launches and got to take home product before they even arrived in stores. We had product allocations and spa treatments on our birthday, all beautiful United with our secret weapon for confidence, Clarins red lipstick. So because of all of that, we were in the Clarins army. Our competitors became our personal enemies and we wanted all of our family members and friends to experience the same wonderful products and culture. So here's how to do it Firstly, educate your team, not just in what you'd like them to sell, but on the roots of the product or the organization, where did it start? How was it made? And my favorite, what is the purpose behind it? The next thing is to share. Transparency is one of the greatest tools to achieving trust. Now you can choose how far you want to go with it. But sharing things like vision, goals and strategy as they evolve are crucial. Better yet, get them to be a part of it. Ask your staff where you think your organization could improve or for their ideas for brand new way to attract customers. It's worth an open-minded listen at the very least. The third thing is communicate, and this is a big one for me. Let everyone be part of the journey. Send out weekly mailers or make space in your weekly catch-up sessions to celebrate team wins regardless of the department. New launches, industry news and anything else that is current and relevant to the success of the business as a whole. If you are not doing weekly sessions as a company, and yes, I mean, all of you, every person in the company, I highly recommended it. And it doesn't matter how national or international your company is. We all know how well VC platforms work in 2021. So there's no excuse. The more your team understand what their function is in achieving success. The more likely they will be to want to pull their weight. Remove the idea that each person has a role that serves an individual purpose for a specific department. The next thing is experience, and I think this is where. It's kind of the make or break of, your internal marketing strategy. And this is what was so successful for me at Clarins. Let your team members get to experience your brand. This could be with employee discounts, branded gear, knowledge- share workshops, or even an experience of your company values. So if, for example, you say your company is focused around creativity. What do you have around the office that allows them to express and explore their creativity? You need to get your staff to align with your company's vision. And I don't mean in an annual conference where you preach to them and hope that by in or again, they're out the door. So hope this has sparked some ideas for you to really step up your internal marketing program. And, I have no doubt that you will see some amazing results when you achieve that level of employee advocacy.