It’s easy to see why New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is widely considered to be the GOAT – the greatest of all time – the winningest NFL quarterback ever, with four Super Bowl wins (and perhaps another on its way), three Super Bowl MVP awards and a record 14 American Football Conference East division titles.
While having an exceptional throwing arm and on-the-field know-how certainly helps, Brady’s motivation and dedication to his craft have also lead his amazing career. This drive doesn’t have to only be applied to the football field – people in all industries can follow his example to create their own success.
That got us wondering: What are some lessons from Brady that we, as marketers, could incorporate into our world to build more effective content marketing strategies?
Read on to find out how you can use Brady’s inspiration and expertise to improve your own craft:
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“I think that at the start of the game, you’re always playing to win, and then maybe if you’re ahead late in the game, you start playing not to lose. The true competitors, though, are the ones who always play to win.”
Brady is a true competitor, with over 200 wins throughout his career, and it’s this mindset which has helped propel him over the years. For marketers, keeping a winning mindset at the forefront helps to create strong content strategies that resonate with your audience.
Even if your methods are successful at the beginning, it doesn’t mean they will always bring in the same results. The preferences and behaviors of your target audience change, and that means your content marketing plans should, too. If your metrics are dropping, you’re in a better place to deal with them if you’ve stayed on top of any new changes. If you haven’t, you risk putting additional effort and resources into recovering falling figures that could have easily been avoided. Go in from the start with the knowledge that you need to follow your prospects’ changing needs and be one step ahead in understanding how to adapt to them.
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“If I have something to say, I want it to be meaningful.”
Whether he’s talking to his teammates, reporters or fans, Brady wants what he says to have an impact. In marketing, whatever story you are telling with your content, it has to have meaning, or it won’t connect with potential leads and customers.
Every piece of content you produce, whether it’s a blog, infographic, video, email or social media post, needs to provide meaning and value to your audience no matter where they are in the funnel. Making sure this is a main objective of your overall strategy will help you succeed in your efforts.
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“I think the running game is very important to every offense. Being balanced is extremely important. There’s times where you have to throw the ball. You could be down late in the game, you need to come back; you have to be able to pass it when they know you’re passing it.”
With this quote, it’s clear that Tom knows how important every aspect – and player – of the offense is. He may be the quarterback, but if he doesn’t work with the rest of his team, he’s aware that he’ll fail.
Working together with the entire marketing team is paramount to success. If not everyone involved is on board, the goal becomes blurry, the department disjointed and the strategy sub-par. Connecting and establishing a relationship with your audience requires every aspect of the marketing department from top to bottom.
But marketing shouldn’t be limited to just your team. Reaching out to other departments within your company helps to create a cohesive vision for your objectives. Collaborating with sales, human resources and the executive board, among others, will ensure brand messaging is consistent and your marketing objectives have the support they need.
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“You know, watching Dan Marino and Steve Young get nominated to the Hall of Fame… those guys are unbelievable and they did it for so long. I’d love to play like those guys, but there’s still a long way to go and a lot of growing.”
Brady is the winningest quarterback of all time, but he acknowledges and respects the great players who have come before him. He, in turn, uses this motivation and admiration to improve his performance.
Marketers often look to other marketing greats to make their campaigns effective and successful. Recognizing the accomplishments of and emulating other strategies gives you ideas and something toward which to strive.
But even if your content marketing plans are raking in positive results, it doesn’t mean your work is done. As Brady said, there’s always room for improvement, so always revisit and revise your objectives to achieve marketing prosperity.
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“You wanna know which ring is my favorite? The next one.”
He may have four Super Bowl rings (and a chance to fill out a whole hand coming up), but Brady is always looking to the next win. This doesn’t mean that he places any less value in his past accomplishments, but that he continues to strive for success.
Recognizing past marketing successes is an important part of developing powerful content campaigns, as you can incorporate aspects from older, effective strategies into your new plans. But with that in mind, you should keep your focus on the next content marketing “win” instead of using strategies from past achievements that may not work now. Concentrating on what you want to strive toward will push your brand forward to a more successful future.
Who would have guessed that marketers can get advice from one of the best NFL players of all time? But that’s the beauty of it – you can take lessons from industries all over to learn new strategies and improve your content goals.
