Marketing 101 | Design Thinking

How Design Thinking Can Boost Your Marketing Efforts

I think a lot of marketing strategies use what I've decided is the Field of Dreams approach to a problem. "If you build it, they will come." Only instead it's "If I sell it, they will buy it." This is how we get companies jumping on the bandwagon of a trend item just because they know people will buy it (I'm looking at you this year, weighted blankets and knock-off Instant Pots). They are providing a solution to a problem they weren't necessarily trying to solve.

The contrast to this approach is called "Design Thinking", a method that mimics the way designers approach a project or problem. Design Thinking focuses on meeting audience needs and providing solutions rather than focusing on a cool idea and how you can sell it.

There are generally four steps to follow when using this method:

• Understand the Problem - Identify your audience and all of the factors involved. Research. Listen. Empathize.
• Brainstorm - Bounce ideas off a wall until one sticks. Or several. Try all of them.
• Test - Seek out feedback and collaboration. Revise and reformat until you've got something that works.
• Implement - Put your best idea into practice.

This approach can benefit anyone in any type of marketing or service industry when it comes to problem solving and project development. Whether you're doing a mailing, social media campaign or self-promotion, using this method can help you connect with your audience, innovate and grow without compromising your ideals or goals to succeed.