Vickie Sullivan

Market Strategy for Thought Leaders

Resources  >> When Inspiration Hits: Create Your Own Powerful Strategy

Written by: Vickie Sullivan  |  September 19, 2024

When Inspiration Hits: Create Your Own Powerful Strategy

Developing a marketing strategy
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Many of us have a moment of feeling, “I can do this, too!” when we see a colleague succeed. What happens next, however, determines whether it becomes a great new strategy or a resource-sucking nonstarter.

It’s tempting to emulate that person, copying their approach and messaging. But that strategy won’t work. Here are two reasons why:

• Your colleague’s fame works against you. If your hero is already well-known, the marketplace assumes you are a copycat. Unless you are a low-cost provider, that’s not a good brand to have. Instead, look at their messaging and ask yourself: What is missing? That focus will position you as the best next step.

• Your talents are different. This problem shows up while implementing the strategy. Example: A popular columnist already has a following for their upcoming book. If you don’t have that fan club, your marketing plan will look different.

These folks inspire us because they show us what is possible. Our next step is to focus on how to turn that possibility into a probability. Counterintuitively, the direct route is not the best.


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