Time for Some Year-End Decluttering?

A cluttered desk is said to be the sign of a cluttered mind. (I've also heard that a clean desk is the sign of a cluttered drawer, but that's another story.) In any case, clutter can lead to confusion, and confusion can lead to poor results. So like that desktop (or desk drawer), an occasional cleaning may be needed to clarify your marketing.

With the new year just around the corner, this seems as good a time as any to get started.

Declutter your message. Are you sending a clear, consistent message with all of your marketing? You should. People will remember you more readily if you keep your message consistent and clean. "You're in good hands." "A diamond is forever." "The breakfast of champions." "Is it live, or is it Memorex?" I could go on, but you get the point. A consistent, unified message helps to make your marketing more memorable and effective.

Declutter your design. Ever visited a website, seen a billboard, watched a commercial, or read a print piece that left you overwhelmed? Perhaps maybe even your own? One of Steve Jobs' proudest legacies at Apple was simplicity (and elegance) of design. It carried through (and still does) not only in the products Apple makes but also in its packaging, its website, its print ads, its stores, and all of the various other marketing the company does. Simple, clean, elegant design provides visual clarity and eliminates the unnecessary clutter, confusion, and noise.

Declutter your approach. Are you a dabbler? A jack-of-all-trades-but-master-of-none? That may serve you well in life, but it's no way to handle your marketing. That's not to say you shouldn't market in multiple media (you should), but you need to start with a plan that spells out the reasons and goals for each medium you enter. Once that's established, you can then work your plan, knowing that each marketing effort you start is part of a grander vision with clear expectations and tangible goals.

Schizophrenic, hit-and-miss marketing efforts, taken just for the sake of "doing something" or following the latest trend, will drain your budget and leave you with just as schizophrenic results. On the other hand, clear, consistent, clutter-free marketing will (over time) produce more consistent and satisfying results. And isn't that the goal of marketing?

So, what are some other ways you can think of to declutter your marketing? Feel free to share them in the comments below.