Stop Suffering From FOMO (Fear of Marketing Output)

When it comes to ‘FOMO’, people typically think of the pangs of regret associated with staying at home instead of heading out with friends, going to an event, or simply not saying ‘yes’ to an opportunity. But, as marketers, do we see FOMO a little differently?

Whilst for most FOMO involves ‘missing out’, quite the opposite can be said for marketers. It’s the Fear of Marketing Output - the anxiety attached to taking action with their marketing functions. We’ve been there, and so have many others - think back to Mailchimp’s perspiring monkey which appeared to hesitantly approach a big red button labelled with an exclamation mark. Now a thing of the past, perhaps Mailchimp realised that this graphic gave more of an ‘are you sure?’ type message, rather than filling its users with confidence. 

So whether you’re hitting send on an email, publishing a new blog and social post, or even discussing budgeting with your CEO, we can all relate to the Mailchimp monkey. You’re ready to hit publish and doubt suddenly swoops in, convincing you that your content has typos, your images won’t render or (heaven forbid!) your email is on its way to the wrong audience.

However, just as we can sympathise - we can also provide solutions. The question here is less ‘do I suffer from FOMO?’, and more ‘how can I stop suffering from FOMO?’. We have the answers.

Face the Fear

We want to face FOMO confidently, but first we need to understand just how detrimental it can be to your marketing function. For example, if you post irregularly on social media, because you’re second guessing your content, you’re only working to alienate your audience. 73% of marketers believe that social media has been somewhat or very successful in helping to boost their brands - and these are benefits that you definitely don’t want to miss. 

And if you still have an email marketing campaign sat in your drafts, you may want to consider hitting send - 89% of marketers consider email marketing a successful part of their strategies. 

So, whilst you may be busy worrying with FOMO, you may want to be more concerned about the potential candidates, colleagues or clients that you’re letting slip away.

But Where Does It Come From?

It’s a valid question - why do we actually experience FOMO? For most, it comes from productivity-related anxiety: you want your marketing to yield results, but you’re so afraid of failing that you avoid hitting send at all costs. Again, we understand. 

Especially during an economic downturn or times of uncertainty, FOMO can be felt a lot more. Many brands are hesitant about outreaching to their audiences during difficult times, when in actual fact, marketing can power up your recovery. In the aftermath of the financial crash of 2008, strong brands recovered 9 times faster than their weaker competitors. So, marketing only works to stand you in a better position during the bounceback we’re currently looking at.

But of course, you’ve got to manage your FOMO to really feel the benefits.

Start With Why

Ask any marketer about their reading list - ‘Start With Why’ by Simon Sinek will be on there. The reasoning behind your marketing output is central to your functions, and scaling your activities back to the ‘why’ will help you to focus on ensuring they are the best they can be. 

Why are you sending this email? Why are you publishing this blog? They’re incredibly valuable questions to ask yourself, as they will help you to keep your marketing centric to your audience. For example, right now your clients, colleagues and candidates will be looking to you to help them - so making sure your output meets their needs will help to alleviate the fear that your messaging may not be met well. It will also help to inform your content, right through from headers and introductions, to end goals and calls to action.

Check It Off the List

It may sound simple, but creating a checklist of tasks to complete on your campaign building journey will help your workload seem more manageable and ensure that you’re not overwhelmed. It’ll also make sure you hit those all important points. Using tools such as Trello or ClickUp ensures that your lists keep your tasks under control.

Testing, Testing 1,2,3…

Whether it’s an email, blog post, or social media share, there will be a testing tool for it. Essentially, you’ll be able to see how your content looks to your audience, rather than viewing it in between drafts. Using platforms like social media schedulers, or email marketing platforms will let you preview and test, so that you can rest assured the published version will be in line with your expectations.

Focus on the Positives 

With FOMO, there’s a definite anxiety around failing. But what if we flip that thinking on its head? What if that one campaign you’ve been waiting to hit send on could be the one to help boost business leads, especially at such a critical time? Whilst there’s always risk involved in marketing, you can minimise the fear of it by knowing that there’s just as much out there to gain.

And if it doesn’t go quite how you planned? You learn from it. Marketing (especially that of a digital nature) is moving at such a fast-pace that there’s always lessons to be learnt, and you can always be better. So, if things don’t go as planned, you’ll always have a valuable lesson for the next time. 

Use the Experts

Of course, one way to combat your FOMO effectively is to tap into the experts (ahem!). Not only can we take your marketing and put it in the safest of hands, but we can also mentor your internal teams on best practice, new strategies, and powerful solutions. 

Whatever your needs, we’ll work to meet requirements and give you some incredibly useful insight along the way, to make sure that you’re well armed to face that FOMO. Whether you need us to do a little or a lot, we’re here to help, and are dedicated to powering businesses through the bounceback period. 

Reach out to our MD Jo for a chat about all things recruitment marketing, FOMO and most importantly, fixes! You’re not alone in your worries, but rest assured that we’ve been there, and we have the answers and the evidence to back it up!