Marketing isn’t (just) advertising

If you've spent any time on LinkedIn or pretty much any online business forum, you'll hear endless conversations about 'marketing' being social media, SEO, PR, video, TikTok, emails, digital marketing, performance marketing, content design, blogging, and pretty much anything visual, written or heard.

It seems the world has somehow forgotten the fundamentals that marketing is by definition 'the process of exploring, creating, and delivering value to meet the needs of a target market in terms of goods and services'. (American Marketing Association 2017).

Working with startups there is often a leap and assumption that 'marketing' = an instagram and social media account, cool 'content' (and maybe cool packaging).

These tools are sold by many online as the only/ cheapest/ best way to nail their 'marketing'. There is a huge gap in understanding what marketing actually is (and isn't) and how much it can cause startups to go off track FAST and burn through their cash at a scary scary fast rate.

It can take months of ploughing money into endless content and random social media advertising, before realising that its just not working. And then panicking and plouging even more in without having any understanding of the wider parts of marketing.

📣 SEO only works if you know your target
📣Content only works if you know your target, your brand positioning
📣 PR only works if you know your brand story, your point of difference, your positioning and your goals
📣 Social media only works if you know your target, their needs, your positioning, your goals and brand story
📣 Direct marketing only works if you know your target, their needs, your goals and why they should care...

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE UNDERSTAND MARKETING IS ALL OF THIS.

And more.

✔ It's the segment of the market that you're going after

✔ Its your brand positioning (what you stand for - and what you DON'T)

✔ Its your choice of route to market (where you're going to sell - and where you're NOT)

✔ Its your pricing strategy and how you communicate the value of your product or service

✔Its every part of your product from the label, packaging, formulation, ingredients (what is and is NOT included), brand design, pack size, that align with the overall VALUE proposition.

✔ Its your promotional plan (more than just visible advertising - bundling, discounting structure, expos, demos and more).

And its your advertising....