Question Everything?

Yes, question everything. As a marketer, you should be asking a ton of questions every day. Who is the audience? What do we need to communicate? When does this need to go out by? What's the goal? How will we know we achieved it? Once the basics are answered, hopefully, in a detailed brief, and no - that's not a joke, but it could be one, continue questioning your project until you can paint a narrative about all of the details yourself.

Why is that Your Approach?

"Because we've always done it this way" should never be an answer. If it is, you need to reevaluate. There should be a reason behind everything you do as a marketer. In fact, that's how you get business. If every client pitch started with an approach, but the explanation behind the presentation is, "because we've always done it this way", no one would ever hire you. Even if you can't explain the exact reason, your response should be because you want to test something to see how it performs. None of our competitors are doing it this way, why don't we try it out?

When I say question everything, I mean everything. Even projects that were successful. Why were they? Is it because of an image you used? Was it the time it was sent? Was your audience hyper-targeted? Will this continue to be successful, or, was it a one time opportunity? Many times, what was successful yesterday may not be relevant tomorrow, especially in today's world of ever-changing technology.

You should feel like this in the midst of creating your strategy.

How Can You Stand Out?

Dig deep. Ask yourself how you can make the most out of the media you're expected to use. Just because it's a direct mail piece doesn't mean it has to be in the shape of a postcard. How can you make it fun and stand out from the rest of your mail? Think outside of the box and concept ideas that seem out of the ordinary. Odds are, those are the ones that will stand out in a world full of clutter. Be intentional with your creativity.

What Supports my Strategy?

Typically, there needs to be a balance between logic and creativity. You can think of a creative way to tell someone to stop smoking, but why should they? It's bad for your health is good reason and there's plenty of proof behind what a cigarette can do to our bodies. Grab some stellar statistics and let them do the talking for you. Don't just Google something, really dig deep to find a valid source or narrow it down to location for the best support behind your idea. There's a reason, probably multiple, for what makes your idea a good one.

Whether you're a young professional, new in a career, or a bit shy by nature, asking questions can be intimidating. Sometimes it's easier to nod and do what's being asked, but questioning everything is a good habit to get into. Be confident when asking questions because it means you care and not everyone does. You'll stand out when you give your work purpose and go the extra mile. As my mom would say to me, "Go the extra mile, there's rarely anyone there."