Marketing is weird, right?

The contemporary definition of ‘marketing’ as a process of moving goods from producer to consumer with an emphasis on sales and advertising first appeared in dictionaries in 1897. The term, marketing, is a derivation of the Latin word, mercatus meaning market-place or merchant.

Today, Marketing is the overarching umbrella from which we get the four P’s: Product, Place, Price, and Promotion. When you follow the ‘yellow brick road’ down from Promotion— this is where we get Advertising and Public Relations. These two subjects are what a majority of my clients recognize as ‘marketing.’ However, they are just a small piece of the pie.

Teaching this model and helping my onboarding clients wrap arms around this concept is, usually, the most challenging part of the process. Many small business owners (outside of the world of marketing) have been told (or assumed) capital ‘M’ Marketing is just getting the word out there about their product/services. If you’re one of these individuals, do not fret— you’re not alone. But humor me, if you will, why it’s important to know more.

1. Understanding Marketing as a holistic approach to selling, growing, and scaling one’s business is vital for success. Plain speak: you cannot successfully grow your business by simply posting on social media. You need to look at your business’ marketing as more than just advertisements. It is packaging. It is customer/client experience. It is the product/service in of itself.

2. Understanding Marketing as a strategy, not a tactic, will help you hire the right kind of talent. Whether you’re hiring internally, or looking to outsource tasks, you should probably vet your potential/onboarding talent. Ask questions like, “How does brand image affect Marketing?” or “Do online presence, brand packaging, and client experience have anything in common?” Then, wait for the response.

3. Understanding Marketing as the approach and strategy, not just a task, will save you boo-coo dollars. How many times have you thrown an arbitrary amount of money at Google Ads or Facebook Ads, seeing little to no authentic engagement; seeing few to no leads? You cannot expect to arrive at your destination if you do not have gas in your car’s tank, a plan for food, water, and rest, and/or a map to lead you how to get there.

“But Chelsie, I have seen great results from my current Google Ads and Facebook Ads and posting to social media.”

Awesome! Seriously! Keep doing what you’re doing then. My clients fit into one (or more) of the following categories:

• Marketing has become the bane of their job, AND/OR

• They’re a small business owner who does not have the time to manage their business’ marketing, AND/OR

• They feel as if things are harder than they need to be when it comes to their current marketing processes and need clarity, AND/OR

• They work for a small business and need external resources to manage the workload AND/OR need an external industry expert to advocate for strategies/concepts.

Regardless of where you’re at, I’m here to help. There’s a LOT of chatter online (not just about marketing). My mission to give my network, clients, and others clarity when approaching the Marketing industry. Maybe that’s by way of working together, maybe it’s by way of introducing to someone who I trust can help you better than I can. No matter what— I’m here to help.

Right now, I’m offering free 30-minute marketing audits to anyone who wants one. Seriously. No contract, no signature, no commitment to future work together. I want to help you. If you’re interested, please visit this page and fill out the form.

Until next time, be well.