In case you haven’t heard, Netflix, the commercial-free streaming service that allows subscribers to watch television shows and movies through their internet-connected devices, hit a homerun when it debuted its new show, “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo,” on New Year’s Day. The show features Japanese organization expert, Marie Kondo, and her systematic approach to de-cluttering.
The show is entertaining, and her approach to folding and storing clothes is rather brilliant (think horizontal rows instead of vertical piles). More importantly, her basic strategy is this: eliminate what doesn’t bring joy or contribute to your vision of your future. It’s a minimalist’s approach to a less stressful life.
There’s much to be said for minimalism and decluttering not only your home life but also your work life. To that end, we think we can all apply Kondo’s strategy to our workspaces:
1. Take inventory. Have you ever stopped and considered how many resources you use in marketing? Try it. Although Kondo’s method involves making a pile of all your like-items (clothes, books, etc.), we know that’s not easy when you’re talking about computer software, online tools, internal data and reports, social media accounts, etc. Still, we think it’s worthwhile to take an inventory of all the marketing tools and resources you have at your disposal. Some may surprise you. Some may not have crossed your mind in months. Include them all.
2. Now look at them. Are they still viable? Do they still bring your marketing efforts results, or “joy,” as Kondo would say? If they do, great! Keep them handy and make their presence visible so you use them often. If not, thank them for their service and discard them. Identifying the tools that work will help you streamline your activities and generate your best possible results.
3. Designate a place—or in this case, a use—for everything. If you kept it, use it! Your department invested time, materials, and personnel in just about every tool you use. If it was worth keeping and using, store it where you’ll see it, use it, access it, or search it.
Why is decluttering your marketing resources so important? Neil Patel, marketing expert and consultant, said in his February 2017 article, “The 6 Laws of Minimalist Marketing,” that our marketing “clutter”—the tools and methods and techniques and processes and trends that we accumulate in the interest of keeping up with technology and the times—keeps us from focusing on the big picture and achieving our goals.
“Much of modern marketing, complicated as it is, relies on a string of try-and-fail tactics,” Patel says. “One tactic after another rises and falls in succession as marketers grab for whatever’s hot, whatever’s easy or whatever happens to capture their fancy.”
“Minimalist marketing, by contrast,” he continues, “admits that tactics come and go, but a solid strategy will help to guide the way.”
Are you ready to de-clutter your marketing?