What marketing is...and what it isn't

If there’s one aspect of business that has increasingly blurred lines, it’s marketing. Because, these days it seems that absolutely anything that could conceivably bring in more customers or increase revenue falls under the banner of marketing.

Your facebook ads? Marketing.

The new logo and branding package you paid big bucks for? Marketing.

Your sales page? Marketing.

And many people won’t see a problem in defining these activities as marketing — after all, when well-executed, each of these things could well play a part in helping your organization realize their goals, whether you’re hoping to increase brand awareness or ramp up your revenue.

But there’s one crucial fact that many people seem to forget: much of what we now define as marketing — ads, sales pages, social media feeds, graphics — are merely marketing tools. And the only way they’re actually going to help you move the needle is if they’re powered by something bigger, something more profound:

A concrete and comprehensive marketing strategy.

You see, creating an Instagram account for your business, starting an email campaign, or working on your customer experience is little more than spaghetti thrown at a wall if there’s no strategy behind it: some of it will stick and some of it won’t…but it will be entirely impossible to predict or influence the outcome.

However, organizations that have taken the time to develop a comprehensive strategy for generating interest in their products or services can take a far more measured approach to everything they do.

Not only will they have conducted the research needed to guide them on everything from product pricing and customer experience to creating marketing content and a social media strategy, they’ll know how to measure the results of everything they do. They can then use that data to ensure that they’re actively pursuing only those things that align with their current goals.

What marketing actually looks like.

Now we’ve established that marketing is about far more than individual tools like emails, brochures, or a great logo, what type of activities might actually be involved as part of a well-considered marketing strategy.

Of course, a comprehensive strategy will likely encompass a wide range of marketing efforts but these are some of the most common, and the most effective.

1. Social media marketing.

Social media platforms can be an invaluable marketing tool, provided you’ve done the research required to direct you to the right platform and to ensure you’re creating the right kind of content to help you reach your marketing goals.

It’s an excellent way to highlight customer reviews, launch new products or services, keep customers informed of sales events, and build brand awareness.

2. Content marketing.

Consistently creating helpful and insightful content on your website is a great way to answer questions, build authority, and improve your SEO. As always, it’s crucial to consider the type of content you create to ensure that it’s relevant to both the audience you’re trying to connect with and your marketing goals.

3. Email marketing.

Your email list may well be one of your most valuable business assets: essentially it’s a group of people who’ve either bought from your company before or who have expressed an interest in the work that you do. By segmenting this audience and contacting them with relevant information and offers, you increase your chances of moving onto their radar at precisely the right time for them to make a purchasing decision.

4. Referral marketing.

There is nothing more powerful than the endorsement of a happy customer so it often pays to incorporate referral marketing into your marketing plans. If you can create ways to incentivize previous customers to spread the word about your brilliance or introduce new business to you, you don’t just reap the benefits of new business, you strengthen current consumer relationships too.

The key takeaway here? While each of these four marketing methods can be extremely effective, it’s vital not to view any one strategy or any one tool in a vacuum. Marketing can deliver incredible results for your company but it only works when everything is aligned and working in sync as part of an overall marketing strategy that encompasses your organization’s wider goals.

If you’re ready to find out how a comprehensive marketing strategy could help your business move the needle on those wider goals, we’d love to have that conversation with you. Get in touch now to learn how Emerje helps organizations like yours.