First mover in marketing: the advantages of being first

Being the pioneer of anything means, most of the time, overcoming obstacles alone, without references to help. On the other hand, it means having a greater advantage versus those who keep doing more of the same. In marketing it is no different. What is being a first mover? The first mover is the one who takes a given action before everyone else, who invents something new from what already exists. That, much of the time, can be advantageous, but everything depends on the circumstances. It is like exploring a new territory: you may come across an enchanting paradise island or thorns and animals that threaten your life. You cannot know exactly what you will find when taking the first step; what is known is that, if it is something good, it will be yours for a good while.

The first mover in marketing

Being a first mover in marketing is using a different measurement method, making an innovative campaign, testing a new strategy, platform, or medium, among others. And that guarantees a good competitive advantage versus the competition. When you are a pioneer in testing a new medium, for example, it is cheap, there is no arbitrage, there is no price competition. But to do this, it is necessary to have an impeccable online-media measurement strategy to quickly test the efficiency of what you have just started using, so as not to lose invested money. A real example was my period working in Catho’s marketing, the leading jobs-and-résumés company in Brazil. I spent a whole year buying the keywords “empregos” and “emprego,” paying 30 centavos per click, navigating alone on AdWords, without competition, and greatly increasing the number of clients. During the period, ours was the best ROI. Nowadays other platforms have opened opportunities like that, such as Snapchat and Instagram, for example. You just need to find the gap to take the leap. Continuing to use platforms and actions proven efficient is necessary, but whenever possible, testing something new, even if it is more work, can be the shortcut that will put you out ahead.