I once heard a comedian make an unexpected, yet interesting statement. He was being interviewed on the radio. The interviewer asked what the comedian’s pet hates were. High on his list was marketing and people who worked in marketing.
The interview was part of a media campaign, to promote (market) his latest stand-up comedy tour. He seemed genuinely unaware of the irony… as he took every opportunity to share the venues, dates and ticket prices. All of which was, of course, marketing.
I think I know what the comedian meant, though. And he had a point.
Some marketing really sucks
Hate is a strong word. However, there are parts of marketing that I hate. For instance, I hate the way junk food is deliberately marketed at kids. I hate the way tobacco companies market cigarettes, to encourage more people to smoke. And I think pretty-much everyone is sick and tired of all the spam emails and cold calls we receive, from people pushing junk at us.
In each of those cases, marketing is (mis)used to motivate people to make bad decisions. There are lots more examples too. And it sucks. It really sucks.
As a result, many business owners feel conflicted about marketing. Their negative feelings about much of the marketing they experience, becomes a barrier to the promotion of their own business.
It would be easy to hate marketing, if that’s all marketing did. But it isn’t.
Marketing is so much more than that
Marketing is also used for good. And we see powerful, positive examples all day every day.
Marketing is used to encourage people to make better lifestyle choices, through public health campaigns. It’s used to motivate people to use their democratic right to vote. It’s used to promote the good works of charities. It’s used to educate children on how to stay safe online. It’s used to encourage people not to drink and drive.
And it’s also used to help small business owners, like you, build successful, rewarding businesses.
In reality, marketing is neither good or bad. It’s what you market and how you choose to market it, which defines how people feel. If you want your marketplace to embrace your marketing and connect with what you have to say, market your business accordingly.
That means stepping away from sucky, predictable marketing. Then crafting your own, value-driven marketing — marketing that people WANT to receive.
If you don’t think that’s possible, remember that every message you receive from me… is marketing.
Marketing that people email me to thank me for. Marketing that they share with their friends. Marketing that’s linked to by some of the world’s leading websites and brands.
The bottom line here is simple. The way you feel about marketing your business will have a direct impact on your success. So make sure your attitude to marketing is aligned with what you want to achieve.