Being successful in business is all about strategy, and for a company to excel, it must have a great marketing strategy. There are tons of articles out there with “tips” and “how tos” that teach promotional tactics, but these don’t work for every business in every situation. Instead of specific strategies, learning basic ideas behind marketing can help regardless of the situation, and looking towards the game of chess to learn how to advertise can provide new insights that work within all industries.

Watch Your Competitor’s Next Move

One of the most important aspects of chess is paying attention to what your opponent is doing. You can’t win a game of chess by simply following a single strategy irrespective of what your opponent is doing. This is true in the marketing world as well. You should follow your competitors on social media and sign up for their email lists. If they’re doing something that works, maybe you should consider it too.

Successful Marketing Requires Several Tactics

The queen is the most powerful piece in the game of chess, but it’s impossible to win with just this one piece. You’ll also need a variety of tactics with marketing. Social media promotions are great, but they can’t do the job alone. Using email, social platforms, SEO and a variety of other strategies will lead to success.

Sacrificing Pawns Actually Works

A chess player would be hard pressed to win a game without sacrificing pawns. Again, this holds true in the marketing world. To get new customers, you may have to sacrifice an initial profit. Maybe it takes a 50% off Groupon to get people in the door, but if they get hooked on a product thanks to your initial sacrifice, it’s well worth it in the long run. Since over 70,000 businesses use these types of deal sites to get new people through the doors, there’s little doubt that it works.

Chess has taught a variety of lessons over the centuries, and it’s obvious that it offers just as much insight into the marketing world. If you can master these basic chess skills, you’ll master the art of marketing.