It seems that politics is not the only thing missing The Middle.
I was on a walk on the legacy trial the other day with my good friend, a teacher visiting for the holidays. We have wonderful robust conversations on our dog walks and yesterday’s did not disappoint. It started with our recent observations of life and business as we exit the pandemic and begin to move forward.
What we both noticed was normal was missing from the equation. Like someone went in and polarized our daily lives to black and white and all the beautiful shades of grey in the middle were erased. She noticed her students were either all A’s or just barely passing. All those wonderful B students on the brink of possibilities, the ones that grasp that thread of inspiration and suddenly bloom in the lush garden of a classroom, were gone. I observed the same in my clients, the audiences we reach, and my current campaigns. There was a gap between wildly successful and “what next?.”
Why do I concern myself with the middle?
Riding the extreme razorback of new gets tiresome and burnout can be destructive. It’s where I go to rest, observe, reap the harvest, and replenish. Now I feel like the middle space is so tight, cramped, like an overcrowded beach on a Saturday. Not really relaxing. Between campaigns, I look to the middle to harvest goals, take time to review the results, and then to gain inspiration for the future. The middle has its place and it’s time to put some energy towards shoring up its foundations and building out its cramped living space.
What’s next?
The solution comes after you identify the problem. The Missing Middle.
Create a new normal so that you have a place to think, to settle into, and what that might look like. From a marketing standpoint here are my two cents.
FOMO purchasing is out.
The thoughtful purchase - There is a new generation taking the reins. In my article about XYZ ’s of Who I dive into the audiences that are coming of age. The click, buy now reflex has changed because purchasing is no longer powered by fear or flash.
Connection is In
You find your audience tell them what you do and connect for a purchase. People want to know, like, and trust you. It's about the experience of the purchase.
Excess is out
Owning to own and then rinse and repeat is being questioned in a big way. The Millennials that are now powering our economy are dealing with a planet that is rapidly changing. Small, sustainability is in waste is out. This generation grew up watching the entire world change live on their devices. They are our first native digitals. This makes how you get your marketing out important.
Online Presence, In.
All those businesses that didn’t spend the energy on a good website years before COVID were unable to pivot and survive. Trying to find a web designer to get you up to current for the past 4 years has been next to impossible. By now if you still think social media is an unruly adolescent, it’s time to retire and let your kid run the business because Social media has matured and is not going anywhere but expanding. What is happening now in Digital Marketing is the increasing choice of platforms, and choosing one depends on your audience. Try this article for more insight Meta vs Youtube vs TikTok
Being on the cutting edge of technology, coupled with the ever-changing landscape of online marketing, I enjoy riding the razor's edge of the new. I find myself time and time again always looking forward, always pushing the tech and what’s coming. It’s who I am and my big why. I just purchased an M2 iPad Pro and boy is this new tech fun!!! (the banner graphic is my creation) Goodbye Netflix, hello Youtube digital drawing tutorials. I'm on the razor's edge right now but the new can be exhausting and I for one am creating myself a new normal, a middle ground that I can goto to replenish and think. I welcome the average, the middle, and looking forward to a bit of boredom.
Boredom always precedes a period of great creativity.
Robert M Pirsig
Reach out for a talk over coffee or a hike I give information freely. I only ask to be paid when I do the work. tgold@bigwaterci.com
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Trina Gold
Master Creator