The 5 Minute Marketing Audit with 5 Fancy tips.

by Ryan Robinson
Owner / Exec. Creative Producer
​Option 3 Media

​As a Creative Marketing Producer, I heavily rely on a team of individuals to produce the best product(s) that I can. Surrounded by Writers, Directors, Cameramen, Editors, Social Media Gurus and Website Designers; all coming together to give our best opinions on how something should be made correctly. Without that creative team, I'm limited / held back from making a project reach it's fullest potential.
And as Captain Kirk from Star Trek V once said, "I've always known I'll die alone." Now I'm not going to die, at least I hope not, but basically Kirk knew that he was at his best when he was surrounded by his crew on every adventure. I completely agree with this in the business world.

Let me give you a further example of what I'm talking about.

​Recently, I had a long discussion with a business friend of mine concerning, "Teamwork versus Individual Work".
Basically he told me that his medium sized Accounting Firm employs 1 single person to head-up their entire Company's Marketing Department and he does his Marketing job very efficiently and better than most. A one-man band huh?
In other words, my friend thinks his Marketing Guy is doing a good job and on the surface, that may be. 
But what if we dive in a little further and see what makes him so good and/or by a flip of that same coin...see what doesn't make him so good.

Now I for one know that everything I personally do can always be done better. I'm the type of guy that is never satisfied with my own work and strives to out-do myself on each and every project; "How can I make this better than the last?", type attitude.
But one thing that I am good at is a: 5 Minute Marketing Audit.

What's a 5 Minute Marketing Audit you say? We'll let's scroll this blog down a little more and figure this out together. That's called sharing. Any who...

Are you the type of person that can walk into a brand new home or an empty office space and envision everything it could potentially look like if done correctly? I am. Or at least my wife tells me that I am and I wouldn't dare argue with her! LOL
Basically, I take 5 minutes to myself and do a "Creative Assessment" in my head of everything that a company is doing right or wrong...creatively speaking that is.

Broken down, this is what it might basically look like in my head. Scary thought. I know.:

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​#1) Where in the World of a Google search can this company be? Do a simple google search of the company name or the industry / city it resides in. Is the company on the 1st or 2nd Search page and do they have a Google Business Listing? (Note - if they do have a Google Business listing, are there any reviews for that company either good or bad? If you can't find what page they're listed on...that's a problem, but keep note of their competition's pages and location...that might come in handy for you later.

#2) Does the Company have a website and has it been updated?
First, if the company doesn't have a website or look like a professional website designer has had his hands on the site (that's a big NO Pass Go, No Collect $200 type of Whammy moment!). Next if they do have a website, what does it look like? Do the colors all work together and is the site cleaning looking? Is the website easy to follow and navigate? Or is there so much verbiage on each page that it looks like Wikipedia on Crack? When it comes down to the nitty gritty...what is the overall goal of the site? Is it to educate, inform, or just be another ordinary website lump on log?

#3) Is there a Company Video near the top of the Homepage? Here's the deal, according to TributeMedia.com, the average user only spends about 7 seconds on your website before they move on to another site! ​​What in the Holy Limp Biscuit you say? YUP... don't believe me? Start tracking how long you stay on each and every site you visit.
HOWEVER...stay with me here...if a company has a really good Company Video Production that averages approx. 2-4min in length than the new website visitor will not only watch the entire video, but will start browsing your entire site and become interested in who you are. Pretty cool right? I thought so too.
Also...do they have any more produced videos on the site or even a YouTube Channel? Website Videos also help SEO...especially YouTube videos. (Write that down.)

#4) It's time to get Social. While on the Homepage of the Company, do they have any Social Media Links? Which ones? Click them and then see if their social media pages are regularly being updated. Are there any reviews on those pages as well? Does the Social Media they have fit the business customers they're going after? If not....then socially speaking...this company is WAY behind your Neighbor's slowest curve ball....that means they're really SLOW.

#5) Finally we come to the Fifth and Final Question to ask yourself. Why is the Mormon Tabernacle Choir neither Mormon or a Choir? Deep thoughts here. But seriously, the 5th thing I usually try to determine is...is the site memorable? Spend a few hours away from the site and then start trying to remember the site. Who is this company? What do they do or sell? Did they appear to be trustworthy? If a tree were to fall in the woods with no one around to hear it, does it make a sound? I say No. The tree obviously falls in complete silence. Obviously.

There you have it, the 5 Minute Marketing Audit that wasn't brought to you in part by Geico as they are not affiliated in any way with myself, my company or my pet green talking lizard.
So what did we learn today kids? Search Google, Updated Website, Company Video, Socialization and a game called, Memory.
Oh and get yourself team. Nobody should have to go at it alone. But remember this, the cost of 1 single salaried "marketing" employee with insurance might end up costing you a LOT more than a Team of Experts that don't need insurance...at least not from you. Unless your offering insurance that is. And it's good one.

If you or your company have any questions about Marketing and want to know how to get the MOST Marketing Bang for your Bucks, please give me a shout! If not...then what in a motherless goat are you still doing here reading this blog to the very end. Time to get crackin' people!

​Until next time....Good Afternoon, Good Evening and Good Night.