One Play Doesn't Win a Game
I've been watching a lot of football lately, along with millions of other people. The next morning when we watch recaps on SportsCenter, we only see the big plays. The plays that all of us talk about and see replays of for years to come.
Seriously, if I said "Super Bowl helmet catch," most of you know which game I'm talking about and where you were when you saw it.
It's more fun to talk about the big plays. Those memorable moments that changed the game. But those moments don't win games on their own. Teams win games after a culmination of small steps and winning little victories that set them up for the ultimate success. The blocks that help get those many small 3-5 yard gains. The snaps that are caught. The time off the field working hard to be successful on the field.
Marketing has its own equivalent, especially in social media. It's the viral hits that make news. Those videos that get millions of views. The tweets that end up on the news the next morning. And it's great for brands that hit those milestones. Sometimes those viral hits can positively change the course for the brand that is reaping that momentary award.
Shouldn't we always go after those big hits?
Not always.
I'm not saying to not aim big. We should consistently . However, we shouldn't neglect the small steps that it takes to build a brand. That attention to the details. Getting the little things right establishing systems for multiple little wins. It's the small steps that become part of a brands routine that help lay the foundation for big successes.
We shouldn't sacrifice getting the little things right so we can chase one-in-a-million situations.
Just look at Arby's Pharrell tweet last year. It's easy to see how that one tweet became one of the biggest hits in real-time marketing in 2014. However, we never talk about the processes setup over a long period of time that set Arby's up to capitalize on that success. When listening to Arby's Director of Social Josh Martin talk about social at Arby's, he'll tell you about the consistent listening that they worked at over a long period of time before they had that big win. They also had small engagement wins over the last couple of years with other campaigns and responses to trending topics. Having those processes and habits in place help them make the most of their big Grammy's moment.
This doesn't just apply to marketing. It applies to all areas of success. When success stories are told, we only hear the parts involving the tip of the iceberg. We rarely hear all of the non-flashy details and moments that took place over an even longer period of time that contributed to the big play and the big win.
So that's what I'm focusing on in 2015. I have big goals, but I'm going to be putting more focus on doing the little things right. Hopefully, when the big plays come, I'll be ready to make the most of it.
What about you?