We just can’t quit you
If you’ve been seeing the phrase “quiet quitting” everywhere you look lately, it’s not just you. Everyone is talking about how doing exactly what your job is, and nothing more, is changing the workplace. Setting boundaries is the latest viral TikTok dance:
The Wall Street Journal: If Your Co-Workers Are ‘Quiet Quitting,’ Here’s What That Means
The New York Times: Who Is Quiet Quitting For?
The Guardian: Quiet quitting: why doing the bare minimum at work has gone global
TIME: Employees Say ‘Quiet Quitting’ Is Just Setting Boundaries. Companies Fear Long-Term Effects
CNN: Quiet quitting is the latest workplace trend, but it doesn’t mean what you think
Quiet quitting is impacting every industry and basically causing a media-induced panic, but this is a new name for a very old idea. This is a labor union tactic called work-to-rule, given a new trendy (if inaccurate) name for modern times.
We are all for fighting burnout (and we’re all about organizing to protect workers!), but, as marketers and communicators, we’re also realists. Many of us are single-handedly marketing our organizations while also managing other critical tasks, from running teams to raising funds. Taking off one of those many hats could be detrimental!
Here are the top three things you should prioritize if/when you need to scale back or streamline your marketing efforts, for whatever reason:
Listen to your audience: Use your social listening and your research skills to find out what your audience considers essential. Knowing your audience well, including their preferred comms channels and their daily habits, can help you decide if you can finally quit Twitter, or if you have to keep dancin’ on TikTok.
Review your metrics to identify patterns, send surveys or polls to learn what your audience wants to see from you in the future, and add social listening to your daily to-do list. Having a clear idea of your brand reputation and your audience’s needs can help you easily prioritize.
Engage with your audience using consistent brand messaging: It’s one thing to listen to your audience, and it’s another thing to let them know that you hear them. Make sure that, if you’re using social media, you are using it for its intended purpose: conversation! Start discussions with your audience and ask them for their valuable input. Conversing on social is a great way to humanize your brand and reinforce your brand messaging, and to build authentic connections. When your audience reaches out through comments, forms, or emails, take the time to respond with more of that beautiful brand tone and voice. Don’t know if you can do that or how to start? Use our guides for brand identity, customer discovery, and brand refreshes.
Ensure that your website is functioning: A functioning website is king, even if you’re slowing down on outbound content creation. If you don’t do anything else, marketing-wise, always prioritize fixing broken links, updating your web pages with accurate information, and testing out any forms or buttons. You want to make it as easy as possible for someone to get the information they need and contact you, even if you have to focus on other things for a while.
When in doubt, focus on what’s important to you, and what will keep your organization functioning. You got this!
