Interview with Randy Wootton, CEO of Percolate

“You’re better served if you have a specific area that you focus on, and you’re better in that area than anyone else.”
– Randy Wootton (22:43-22:50)

Kyle Willis
Marketing from the Roosevelt Room

The marketing landscape is rapidly changing, and keeping up is harder than ever. In order to succeed in your industry, you have to be the best at what you do. Knowing how to identify what you’re great at, leveraging “moments of influence,” and connecting with your audience at the right time with the right message leads to long-term success.

Randy Wootton has been a marketing leader for over 20 years, and he’s seen the drastic changes that have occurred in that time. Marketing has become more personalized as it intersects with technology and data. The result is a marketing future that relies on your ability to manage data in order to identify your customers, know where they are at any moment, and deliver the content that speaks directly to their needs.

“While some advertising may spark interest, it’s the content that helps customers know who you are and why they should buy from you.” – Kyle Willis (15:55-16:15)

Having the capacity to create personalized content is one of the biggest challenges marketers face. Content creation takes time, money, and other limited resources.

Customers have a wide range of channels to connect with your company. You have to know who they are, what device they’re using, what they’ve done in the past, and what they’re doing now.

Traditional approaches to marketing just don’t work anymore. Today’s consumers are less likely to share an advertisement than they are to share a piece of content. The online social landscape has changed what customers are looking for at every point in the buying process. You must identify the moments of influence when you can send the right message at exactly the right time.

“The real challenge is differentiating your message. How do you get in front of customers? When you’re in front of them, how do you help them understand what you do is different and why it’s something they need to have?” – Randy Wootton (16:48-17:07)

Social media and other tools let you see where customers are in the buying cycle and build content that is directly tied to their point in the process. Customers rely on business websites before, during, and after they’ve made a purchase. Create a website that gives them access to the information they need to get the most out of your product or service. Interact with customers so you can continue to market to them over time.

Let your audience know who you are and why they should purchase from you. Are you differentiating your message? How are you delivering that message? You create and own your own category when you get clear on what you do well. It’s the difference between trying to do everything versus specializing in one service you deliver to the right customers. Some marketing agencies offer a full one-stop-shop experience. Others focus on one thing and do it better than everyone else.

Modern-day marketing is harder because it involves so many components. In order to move vertically up, figure out what horizontal skills you need to learn. For most marketers, that means becoming better at understanding data, technology, processing, and building systems and teams. You gain a leading edge by learning how to collect and evaluate data so you don’t have to rely on analysts to make decisions about your marketing campaigns.

Marketers have to react in real time to the changing environment and market needs. You need systems that give you a clear idea of what’s going on while orchestrating your actions for maximum results and efficiency. Marketing is radically different, and your business better keeps up.

How to Get Involved

• Visit N2Q online to learn how they can help you renovate your marketing strategies.
• Join the marketing conversation with Kyle on Facebook in Marketing from the Roosevelt Room group.