Forget What You Know About Marketing, It Doesn't Work

Marketing is one of the most powerful tools in a business owner’s tool belt. But what exactly is “marketing”? How do you market your business? I

n this article, we’re going to look at 10 marketing tips no one talks about, but all successful businesses use. Each tip will teach you how to grow your company and reach new customers without spending thousands of dollars on ads.

Everything You (probably) DON’T Know about Marketing

Takeaways
1. Traditional marketing methods may not yield desired results.
2. Inbound marketing focuses on building relationships and value.
3. Embracing new marketing approaches can lead to better outcomes.
4. Personalized marketing and community engagement are crucial.
5. ROI can improve through innovative strategies and adaptability.

Table of Contents

Marketing Tip #1: Know Your Audience

You need to know your audience.

This sounds obvious, but it’s a step that’s often overlooked by marketers. You have to understand who you’re marketing to and what they want.

Know their demographics: age, gender, location (both physical location and online location).

Know their interests: what they like to do in their free time, what they’re passionate about, and what makes them angry/sad/happy/optimistic/pessimistic (the opposite of sad).

Know their pain points: things that make them frustrated or disappointed about life or work (and understand how this affects them emotionally), how much money they have available for spending on things like travel or entertainment, etcetera)

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Marketing Tip #2: Don’t Focus On What You Have To Offer

The second marketing tip is to focus on what your customers have to offer. This is a very different way of looking at things than the one where you start with what you have to offer and try to figure out who might be interested in that and how to get them interested.

Instead, think about what your customers have going for them and how you can help them do more of it!

For example, if someone comes into your store wanting help finding some pencils because they’re going back-to-school shopping, don’t just show her where the pencils are and ask if she has any other school supplies she needs.

Maybe she doesn’t know exactly what kind yet; maybe she knows but isn’t sure which store carries it, or maybe she’s got everything under control and wants only a few extra spares.

The point is that by focusing on this question instead of just trying to sell something (which might not even be appropriate), you’ve given yourself an opportunity for greater profit while maintaining an excellent relationship with a valuable customer.

Marketing Tip #3: Don’t Spin The Facts

You should never, ever make up facts or try to manipulate the truth to sell your product or idea. This is a sure-fire way to lose credibility and trust with your target market. You can’t build a healthy relationship on lies, so don’t try!

When I was working for Social Media Marketing Company X, one of my bosses told me that our competitor Y used “less than ethical” business practices when they were winning contracts against us.

This was clearly an attempt at undermining their reputation as well as ours, but when I asked him why he didn’t just state this fact instead of trying to twist it into something negative about his own company (and its competitor).

He said something like “I could never say such things in public.” Well then maybe you shouldn’t be saying them at all!

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Marketing Tip #4: Don’t Feed The Ego

This is a big one, and it was probably the hardest for me to learn, but it’s also a crucial lesson that has helped me grow as a marketer. When you first start in business, it’s easy to focus on yourself and highlight your accomplishments.

But if you want customers to buy from you rather than from someone else, this marketing mindset won’t work very well.

Instead of talking about yourself or your product’s features and benefits, the things that make people want to buy from your focus on how YOU can help THEM solve their problems.

This will keep them coming back for more because they know that YOU care about solving THEIR challenges instead of just trying to sell them something without really understanding what they need (which happens all too often).

Marketing Tip #5: Don’t Use Your Competition’s Weakness As A Strength For Your Brand

There are many examples of brands who have used their competition’s weaknesses as a strength for themselves.

Nestle was once the leader in the chocolate market, but Cadbury Dairy Milk (a British brand) launched a campaign that showed how Nestle had changed their recipe and removed the cocoa butter. Cadbury Dairy Milk then positioned itself as an alternative to Nestle which didn’t use cheap substitutes or artificial ingredients.

The lesson here is not to focus on your competitors’ weaknesses, but rather on what makes you unique as a company and how you can authentically convey that message.

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Marketing Tip #6: Don’t Appeal To Only One Sense

To be memorable, you need to use all five senses.

Visuals: Use images of your products and services in your marketing materials. Include photos of people using the product or service, so that customers can see themselves enjoying it too.

Sounds: Add a soundtrack to your website that evokes the mood and feeling you want to convey (for example, upbeat background music for an online course).

You can also include sound effects on landing pages – for example, a jingle when someone arrives at their destination page or an alarm bell when they leave without purchasing something from you.

Smells: Create an aroma experience for browsers of your website by adding scents like coffee beans or pine needles into the background music played while browsing its content.

You could also create a scratch-and-sniff card with a unique printed scent on them such as “freshly baked cookies” that gives off as soon as it’s pulled out from its envelope by someone interested in buying something from you!

Textures: Give customers something tactile (like buttons) which they can click on if they’re ready to purchase something right away instead of having them type out their credit card information each time they make purchases over time.

Because this will help prevent people from making impulse buys before thinking through whether this is really what they want or if there might be other better options available elsewhere first before making any final decisions about what kind(s).

Specifically would work best–or even where else might offer better prices/deals initially rather than just blindly trusting whatever sales pitches come across first.

Instead look around carefully enough at other possible places first before making any final decisions about anything else whatsoever

Marketing Tip #7: The Best Way To Reach Your Customers Is Through Authentic And Relevant Content

I know, I know. That sounds like a no-brainer, doesn’t it? But it’s true! People are bombarded with messages from brands every day, so why should yours stand out?

Your customers want real experiences that help them solve problems or make life easier and they won’t find those things in an advertisement.

What they will find is a lot of fluff written by marketers who don’t understand their needs or know how to speak clearly about them (more on this later).

So instead of trying to sell them something, focus on sharing information that helps people learn more about your brand and the value you can offer.

Marketing Tip #8: The Most Effective Marketing Strategy Focuses On Driving Value, Not Sales

Why? Because the best way to get people talking about your brand is to make them remember how great it was. To create this experience, we need to give people something they can’t get anywhere else: something they love and will want to share with their friends.

One of my favorite examples of a company that has done this well is MailChimp (the email marketing service). They put together an annual report every year highlighting their growth over the past twelve months and how it affected customers in a meaningful way.

They also include some fun facts about themselves some of which are pretty personal but this only adds credibility because it shows that these employees truly love what they do at MailChimp!

Marketing Tip #9: Make Sure That Your Images Are A True Representation Of Your Product

Your images are the first thing people see, so make sure they’re a true representation of your product. When using photos of actual products, make sure that the lighting is high quality and that the image itself is properly photographed.

If you don’t have access to professional photography equipment or someone who knows how to use it, consider taking your images with an iPhone or camera phone; just make sure that you’re not in front of a window where sunlight is streaming in.

You’ll also want to make sure that any product shots are relevant to your brand and target audience.

Marketing Tip #10: Ignore Trends And Don’t Try To Be Something You’re Not

But this is a mistake. You won’t be the next big thing, and you probably shouldn’t try to be something you’re not. This is an important distinction that many businesses miss, which can lead to failure and wasted money.

If you try to be like someone else, or if you attempt to create a new product or service based on trends that haven’t even yet become popularized, then your business will likely fail before it has time to get off the ground.

If you’re curious about the significance of inbound marketing and its role in business growth, our piece on Understanding Why Inbound Marketing Matters offers insights and explanations you won’t want to miss.

Marketing Tip #11: Have Fun! Give People A Reason To Love You

The marketing lesson we can all take away from this is that if you’re not having fun, it’s time to re-evaluate what you’re doing. If you hate your job and don’t enjoy yourself, then the chances of people liking you are slim to none.

People want realness, honesty, authenticity, and transparency from those who they do business with or interact with in any way. You want to be relatable and human; people will love you for it! In other words: Have fun!

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Conclusion

Marketing and branding can be fun and exciting. It doesn’t need to feel like a drag. Marketing is about finding people who want your product or service and making sure they know how great it is.

You want to make sure that the look and feel of your brand appeal to them, so keep this in mind when choosing colors or fonts for your logo design.

You also want people to understand what makes you unique as a company or organization with values that align with theirs so again, focus on creating content that demonstrates those qualities!

FAQs

What is the role of marketing in business growth?

Marketing plays a pivotal role in business growth by creating awareness, generating leads, and fostering customer relationships. Effective marketing strategies help businesses expand their reach and drive revenue.

How does marketing differ from advertising?

While advertising is a component of marketing, marketing encompasses a broader range of activities. Marketing involves market research, product development, branding, and customer engagement, whereas advertising is focused on promoting products or services through various channels.

What are some key marketing strategies for startups?

Startups can benefit from strategies such as content marketing, social media marketing, influencer partnerships, and targeted online advertising. These approaches can help startups build brand awareness and attract their target audience.

How can businesses measure the success of their marketing campaigns?

Businesses can measure the success of their marketing campaigns by tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) such as website traffic, conversion rates, social media engagement, and return on investment (ROI). Analyzing these metrics provides insights into the effectiveness of marketing efforts.

How has digital marketing transformed the marketing landscape?

Digital marketing has revolutionized the way businesses connect with their audience. It offers precise targeting, real-time analytics, and a wide range of platforms for reaching potential customers. This shift has led to a more personalized and data-driven approach to marketing.

Costantine Edward

Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.

Forget What You Know About Marketing, It Doesn’t Work