The Design Dog Blog
I just returned from my annual vacation in Wisconsin with family, and it was so much fun. Summertime in Wisconsin is pretty great, and I love spending time with family. My sister has a cottage on a lake in the Northwoods.
Or “Up North,” as we say.
I kayaked early every morning, then we spent the day fishing or floating around the lake, had a great fish dinner, and ended the day with a campfire and sleeping with the windows open to hear the haunting call of loons. Being outside all day fills my soul.
Because of experience or luck, or probably both, the fish were biting and we caught a LOT. It got me thinking about how much fishing has in common with marketing.
You can’t just throw a line in the water and hope for the best. You need the right bait, the right place, the right timing, and sometimes a little expert help.
What I didn’t expect when I started doing this was how much it would change the way I see things. And honestly, it shows up in my design work too.
The right bait and equipment
Your marketing needs to appeal to the people you actually want to attract. Just like fishing, the bait matters.
We used very specific bait depending on the type of fish we wanted to catch. Sometimes we used the “fragrant” bait I called stink bombs. Little fish would nibble at it and steal the bait, so we had to stay vigilant and make sure there was still enough on the hook.
And catching the fish was only part of it. Sometimes I didn’t jerk the rod and set the hook quickly enough and lost one. When we caught bigger fish, we used a net to get them into the boat, which takes its own special finesse.
You should have seen the one that got away, a really nice perch that fell off before I got it into the boat.
By the end of the day, my fish tale had upgraded it to at least 18 inches.
Fish where the fish are
You can have the greatest bait in the world, but if the fish aren’t there, good luck.
Marketing works the same way. You need to show up where your customers actually are.
We moved around when the fish weren’t biting. We were mostly fishing for crappies, which live in shallow water near weeds and dead trees. This was occasionally dangerous for me because an errant cast or two ended up in a tree.
We caught bluegill, sunfish and a few perch, my favorite. But if we wanted big rock bass, we would have needed to fish deeper.
Different fish. Different place.
Know what you’re trying to catch
You can’t market to everyone.
The more clearly you understand the kind of customer you want, the easier it is to choose the right message, the right place and the right approach.
We caught the biggest fish when we were specific about where and how we were fishing. And when the fish were too small, we threw them back.
It can be pretty powerful in business, too, to say no to a client who simply isn’t the right fit.
Timing matters
The right message at the wrong time can go nowhere.
One morning we caught a lot of really big fish. We took a break for lunch, went back to the exact same spot with the same bait, and… nothing.
The fish had moved on.
If they weren’t biting, we moved to another area or called it a day and went back to camp for a beer before dinner.
Marketing can work the same way. If something isn’t working, doing more of the exact same thing isn’t always the answer. Sometimes you need to adjust the timing, try another approach or simply move on instead of throwing more money at it.
Bring in an expert
You don’t have to figure everything out yourself.
A fishing guide can save you hours of frustration, and the right business expert can do the same.
I’m good at catching and eating fish, but otherwise, I need help. My brother-in-law is the fishing expert, and because of his knowledge of bait, location, timing and pretty much everything else, we were very successful.
I know my wacky casts drove him crazy, and I may have hit him in the face with a fish a time or two, but I couldn’t have done it without him.
He also cleaned and cooked the fish, so clearly I picked the right expert.
Your network matters, too
Finding the right network isn’t only about referrals. It’s also about having people around you who know things you don’t.
My brother-in-law does not divulge where they fish, but he told me about some advice he gave friends on how to fish. They went from getting skunked to catching a lot.
I have a net, er, network, of amazing people I can refer you to if you need a coach, virtual assistant, podcast help, website or digital asset support, LinkedIn help, technology, finances, bookkeeping, insurance and all kinds of other business expertise.
Sometimes you need the right bait.
Sometimes you need to move to a better fishing spot.
And sometimes you just need a good guide.
If you need help with graphic design and marketing materials, give me a shout. I’ll be your guide.
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