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In 2019, Marie Kondo took America by storm.

Netflix introduced its 139 million subscribers to an endearing Japanese consultant with a simple, effective approach to decluttering your life, named “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo.”
In these episodes, she would coach people to get rid of the things in their homes that no longer “sparked joy.” It was her trademark question: “Does it spark joy?”
A few days ago, as we were advising a new client to simplify their website—streamlining 12 pages down to 3 or 4—she asked, “Does anyone ever feel disappointed after this process? We spend thousands of dollars to end up with a smaller website with less content? Sort of feels counter-intuitive.”
It was a great question; an honest question. There were a thousand different ways I could’ve responded, but for some reason I thought of Marie Kondo. I responded by asking how she feels after a successful yard sale. “Are you ever disappointed after you’re done spring cleaning?”
It was all she needed to see the value of distilling her content down to its essence; to work with a branding agency to begin telling a more concise, compelling story to her target customers.
I think we over-complicate things in the world of marketing when we really should be asking our own Marie Kondo-esque question: “Does it create clarity?”
In 2020, the most generous thing you can do in your marketing is to create clarity. It values your customer’s time, it simplifies their decision-making process and it ensures those that choose to work with you will truly enjoy it.
  • Clarity around who you are,

  • Clarity around what you do,

  • Clarity around why it matters.

If you walk through your brand’s metaphorical home, holding each item in your hand, ask yourself: Does it create clarity? If it does, put it in a place of prominence. If it doesn’t, put it in the trash.
People don’t have time to sift through the years of trash we accumulate around our brands. All the unhelpful metaphors we’ve been using for years, all of the outdated print pieces, all of the intrusive pop-up opt-ins and the annoying drip campaigns.
If you haven’t walked through your brand recently, chances are there’s some hoarding going on. Chances are you’ve grown so used to seeing it all stacked up that you don’t see your company through the eyes of a first-time guest. The best remedy is to find a trusted guest to walk through things and give you their honest feedback. This can be a trusted colleague, a mentor, an advisor, or an expensive branding agency that will tell you your next website only needs 3 pages.
Did this post give you any ideas? Do something with it. 

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