Wait for it, wait for it. You ready? It depends. That’s it. The most popular phrase in marketing is ‘it depends’. When and where do we not see this phrase being used? Yes, I get it and I know why we say it but can’t we be a little bit more concrete than this? It all just seems a little fluffy for me. Anyone else?
For kicks I went out and tried to find all the scenarios where we respond with ‘it depends’. It made me laugh 
- Wondering if you should reply to comments left on your blog? Survey says… you guessed it; ‘it depends’.
- Should you care about losing blog subscribers? It depends.
- Best day to publish content on Facebook? It depends.
- Should I blog? Hmmm. It depends.
- Who are the influencers in my industry? That depends too!
- Social media or traditional marketing? It depends.
- What marketing metrics should you be tracking? Well that all depends…
- Should your brand be on Pinterest? That depends.
- When is the best day to send your press release? It depends.
- When is the best time to send your email campaign? That depends.
- What should your brand’s role be in social media? It depends.
- Should I be on Google+? That depends on …
- Should I quit my job and build my own business? That depends.
- Should I be on Twitter? Depends on if..
- Should I focus on my personal brand or the corporate brand? That depends.
- Do we need a tradeshow booth or can we just attend? That depends too.
- Do we need a newsletter? It depends.
- How long after a lead comes it should my sales team call? That depends.
- Do click-through rates matter? It depends.
- Should I write the content myself or hire a copywriter? It depends.
- Should inside sales report to sales or marketing? It depends.
- Should we cast a wide net for leads or focus on strategic verticals? That depends.
- Should we make a mobile version of our website? That depends.
- Do we even need a website? Sometimes that depends.
- Is WordPress good enough to build our site? That depends.
- Should we moderate comments or let em rip? It depends.
I could keep going but I have to stop at some point
How can we get beyond this? How can we as professionals provide something besides the obvious ‘it depends’ answer? We should strive to connect problems with resolutions, not wishy-washy answers that challenge people further. But how?
HAHAHAH This actually made me laugh out loud. I have read most of these posts, too… As a haver of strong opinions, I have no trouble offering MY take on a situation- I am not sure I’ve ever employed “it depends”- but I am also fully aware that what works for me may not work for others. So how can we get beyond this? It depends! Hah I slay me.
@RebeccaTodd I was laughing too
I have definately been in those shoes where I am sharing a ‘how to’ or an idea with someone that has worked for me in some situation. Now I dont say ‘it depends’, but I do say, ‘that worked for me, but you need to find what works for you.’ I encourage them to try my suggestion and tweak it accordingly. Test test test. ‘It depends’ doesnt get someone started, it doesnt challenge them to try something. I think it leaves them more stuck than when they asked the question.
I think we can get past this by being more premeditated with our contact with clients and taking the bull by the horns so to speak.
Listing best practises with an exhaustive set of clauses is ridiculous, right? “You should take best practise XXXX unless situation YYYY or ZZZZZ in which case take action AAAA”
So… ask what business objectives are up front. Find out what will make a difference to their business and show them the right answers for them. If you jump in and ask the right questions. You can avoid the whole “it depends” mentality. There’s that, and then knowing I probably undercharge bigger companies because, for me, it doesn’t depend. I just fix things or tweak things to make them better.
@charlie_screendrip You are absolutely right with this one – great idea. I think that we use the term ‘it depends’ because we dont know what the underlying problems are and this phrase enables us to just say something. Honestly, for me, I know there is no black & white, just what works but the solution is never ‘it depends’, there has to be something concrete and doable.