Marketing is one of those words that confuses the begeezers out of people.
Many people think marketing and advertising are the same thing.
If you are one of those people, you’re kinda right – sort of – OK, not really!
Marketing often involves developing traditional and digital advertising campaigns. But a marketer doesn’t just create and/or book advertising for your business. In fact it may come as a surprise that advertising may be one of the last recommendations a marketer would suggest.
So if advertising is not marketing, and marketing is not advertising, we still haven’t got the answer to what marketing IS.
I found a good article that shared 72 definitions of marketing. Yes, SEVENTY TWO definitions! That’s a lot of definitions.
Aaah 72 definitions is not enough. Let’s make it 73😊
Industry jargon warning!!!
Here’s my definition – What is Marketing?
Marketing is examining your 4 P’s – The Marketing Mix – PRODUCT. PLACE. PROMOTION. PRICE – and your business’s SWOT – STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS. Marketing is seeing your big picture and then creating detailed plans of action aimed at meeting chunky worthwhile goals – that usually include bringing in the big bucks.
Marketing looks at how your customers interact with your business and what you can do to ensure you match your business offerings with the customers you are looking for. There are a range of things your business does, and can do, that impact on your ability to win (and keep) customers and achieve your business goals.
A great marketing consultant will identify all the ‘touch points’ that impact on your ability to achieve your business goals. It is important to know what your goals are because your goals directly impact your marketing plans. Goals could include things like
- sell more,
- make more profit,
- do less and make more money,
- have a positive impact on society,
- be part of a social change,
- become the market leader,
- increase market share by x%,
- launch and grow your business in new international or national markets,
- launch a new product or service,
- have a positive environmental impact,
- improve customers well being,
- feed my family and pay the bills,
- retire quicker,
- and so on….
Hopefully we are getting a bit clearer on what marketing is, and that it isn’t just advertising.
Once you know what your goals are, a marketing plan will set out how to achieve them. I’ve mentioned marketing looks at the big picture AND the detail…below are some examples of aspects of the marketing mix you could think about for your own business.
‘Touch Points’ can include:
- what clothes you and your team wear,
- what your website says and looks like,
- your social media strategies,
- the pricing of your products and/or services,
- how you answer the phone, emails and social media posts,
- the way you sell and where you sell,
- your company culture and how that expresses itself in the marketplace,
- yes, your advertising,
- your branding and packaging,
- and much, much more.
If you want to explore how I can help you to get your marketing mix just right so that you can smash your goals, give me a call or email to book in your free half hour consultation.
I particularly love helping businesses who are making a positive impact in their world.