Some people think that marketing is just advertising or advertising. They think it is some form of paid promotion and nothing more. In their minds, marketing and advertising are the same thing and can be interchanged.
We all thought blogging and social media were going to change it all. These new platforms were going to sweep in and save us from all these ads. Now we have native ads, paid blogs. We already have promoted posts on all social media platforms. The fat cats with all the money keep ruining everything!
We believe that with every new technology and platform, marketing changes forever. It works in some way but mostly remains true to its roots.
What is Marketing?
According to the American Marketing Association, marketing is the activities, set of institutions, and processes that create, communicate, deliver, and exchange products that have value to clients, customers, partners, and society at large. Advertising will always be a part of marketing. But is marketing advertising? What I want to talk about is the word “value” in that definition.
We can profit in any currency. If Nike pays me belgium whatsapp number data on my forehead. But what value does that have to society at large? Really nothing, people will just say “It looks like that idiot has a big swoosh on his forehead. Shame on Nike.”
So sure, you can pay to play. You can pay for position, attention, traffic, etc. But advertising will always make money and no money. Advertising has its place, but it cannot be sustained without a steady source of funding.
Good Marketing Builds Trust
When was the last time you trusted a company more for business reasons? I’m sure it happens, but I’m sure it’s rare. As I say in many of my speeches, good marketing involves three things.
- Known as
- Become a resource
- Trustworthy (green smiley face on Yoast, oh, better baseball inside, sorry)
Let’s look at each of these
Be Known: Marketing is not advertising a great book called Known that talks about this concept. We don’t do marketing out of the goodness of our hearts, but we certainly need to think about how we whatsApp directory to be known. And we also just need to be known. As I discussed in my last post about influencer marketing, influencers want to work with well-known brands.
Customers want to buy from brands they know. If they don’t know you, they’ll ask their friends, co-workers, etc. if anyone knows you. Where do they ask?
- On social media
- In emails and texts
- In-person (not so much lately)
- On the phone (I think people can still make calls)
- On a video call (can we zoom?)
Make sure you have a solid presence on social media and usa b2b list your followers. Get useful information, needed news, and timely tips in your inbox. At least know that you need to do the following.
Social Media Marketing
- Content marketing (including blogs, white papers, case studies)
- Email marketing (use marketing automation if possible)
Search Engine Optimization
Be consistent, proactive, and resourceful in the lives of your clients and those who can recommend your services. Sure, advertising can help you become well-known, but what are you famous for? Commercials. You don’t just want to be known for your brand or clever advertising. Which brings me to the second point.
