Welcome to my first “Field Note”!
I chose “Field Notes” as the name for the email newsletter to communicate that it’s about practical, real world marketing. Like it has always been.
So let’s get to it.
This edition’s topic is a question that I get in many different forms:
Should we be on TikTok?
Is Facebook still relevant for our audience?
In other words: which channels should we prioritise?
What I’m seeing
- Journeys are messy. Prospects hop between Google, social, friends, comparison sites, and only later return to your website to decide. Not a straight line.
- Small teams spread thin. Showing up “everywhere” leads to inconsistent execution. Better to be present in a few places that matter to your audience. And accept that you’ll miss out on some people elsewhere.
- Clarity travels. A clear “who we’re for” and “what you can expect” makes every channel work harder. It also makes it much easier for student ambassadors to tell your story.
- Website = the hub. Whatever gets attention, decisions happen on your site. If key tasks are hard (comparing programmes, understanding requirements and fees, actually applying), warm traffic leaks away.
What to do?
Spend some time together as a team and list out:
- Which channels you’re active on
- The ideal audience you want to reach (be specific)
Then ask:
- What can we stop? Is there a channel we can pause or drop for the next 90 days?
- What can we improve where it matters? If we free up time, how do we make a priority channel more engaging? e.g. one stronger post/short per week, a simple student story, or clearer next steps back to the website?
That’s it. One decision to stop, one decision to improve.
Watch: short clip
Basically the same message as above, but in video 🙂
This relates strongly to Chapter 4 in Genuinely Helpful – how do you plan for your website content to be relevant for your audience. (PDF and order page)
This article first appeared as a Field Note
In the Field Notes, I share one practical idea you can try on your site or in your campaigns. Every two weeks. Get it in your inbox by signing up here.
