6,462 steps for me. What’s working for you?

This is all my nephew’s fault.

For some reason we were talking about him walking to work, and he mentioned that he had done 11,000 steps the other day. Wow, was I was jealous. My walk to work is just up the stairs and across the hall. From my bedroom.

Tracking my steps

The talk turned to how to track steps. Yes, I know about the fitness trackers like Fitbit and Jawbone. But my nephew, who's a 20-something, told me my beloved iPhone6 will track my steps as long as I have it with me when I’m moving. So, I’m trying to track my steps and flights of stairs every day.

Thinking about all of this has led to me thinking about how to track advertising and marketing.

Get a 360˚ view

When you are trying to track what’s working in your marketing plan, don’t just assume that the one ad you placed is a dud because it didn’t bring any clients to your door. Or, that your website needs a total overhaul just because no customers ever mention it.

When looking at your marketing and advertising, you need to consider the whole picture, not just one data point.

Think about:

• Your message. Is it relevant to your audience? Is it clear? Does it tell your customers how you can help them, improve their lives or make them happier?

• The medium. Are you reaching your clients where they are? Younger customers may be on Twitter while older ones may still be reading the daily paper.

• Your offer. Is there a special offer that you can broadcast to get customers to try you? Is the offer enough to move someone?

• The creative. Sure, catching someone’s eye is fine. But does it relate to the audience? Is a high-concept piece really needed?

• The timing. There’s a reason that back-to-school advertising starts in July. Parents are already budgeting and planning for August. Think about if timing makes a difference to what you’re selling.

Take the time to find out what’s working for you…and what’s not. It will be well worth your time and marketing dollars.