How learning chess reinforced my love of strategy and strategic marketing

Earlier this year, my son decided he was going to teach me how to play chess, and despite my initial disinterest, he not only managed to successfully persuade and teach me, but I even almost won a game against him...once!

As green as I am on the chess board, I have a deep appreciation for the time players spend learning various tactics, as well as the skilled practice of thinking through and playing out different scenarios. Thinking strategically in marketing and business is a lot like a chess game, which is why chess is so often used to visually convey strategy.

Let’s explore the parallels between chess and business and marketing.

Stop planning and start doing (or vice versa)

Are you planner? I am. At its best, planning is an incredible tool for gaining clarity on the next steps you need to take in your business. At its worst, it can lead to analysis paralysis, stunting your ability to take action.

On the other hand, you don't want to put something out into the world before it's ready to go. You need a minimum viable service (or product), and a plan to launch it to your ideal customers.

MarketingKaren WilsonJuly 7, 2021marketing, planning, strategy, strategic decisionsComment

Sometimes a shortcut doesn’t seem like a shortcut

Advice and ideas come from so many people and places, with promises of great results. But the routes they want you to take can be so much longer and hurt your business by not working as expected.

In truth, strategic planning is a shortcut. It just doesn’t seem like one. It takes time and thinking and it can even be a difficult investment in your business.

MarketingKaren WilsonJune 22, 2021marketing, strategy, marketing strategy, strategic planning, business planning, businessComment

If you're always doing, you never have time to think

In a very busy world where we are connected to what everyone else is doing at all times, there’s a certain pressure to be busy.

And where there’s this need to always be productive and busy (and to have something tangible to show for it), blocking off time to essentially “do nothing” can seem absurd.

However, time and time again, research reveals that mental rest is just as important as physical rest.

If you’ve ever had a great idea in the shower or on a walk, you know the power of uninterrupted, intentional reflection and thinking.

MarketingKaren WilsonMay 26, 2021planning, strategy, marketingComment

Strategy vs. plan: What’s the difference, and why does it matter?

I talk about the importance of planning a lot. But strategy and planning aren’t the same, and it’s essential to understand the difference. I haven’t talked nearly enough about the strategy that guides planning. Because if you don’t have a strategic foundation in place, even the best plans may not generate the results you want.

MarketingKaren WilsonNovember 4, 2020strategy, strategic planning, business strategy, planComment

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