December 17, 2017

Beware of Smooth-Talking Marketing Consultants

Marketing is sexy. The options are endless. It’s easy to get excited about what’s possible.
At the same time, marketing is dangerous territory. You can be seduced by smooth-talking marketers. They’ll promise you the moon and the stars while using language that entrances and enthralls.

marketing

To succeed, embrace some growth marketing, a healthy dose of content and social media and, of course, a solid budget. Then, you’re off to the races. If only it was that simple.
Marketers make marketing sound good because….they’re marketers. They’re in the business of getting people excited about products, services, and ideas. They speak a different language, quantify success in different ways and make everything look easy.
Here’s the thing about marketing:
It succeeds if you have a product that delivers value AND you have rock-solid insight into your customers’ needs, pains, interests, and behavior. Armed with these elements, marketing can be used to reach target audiences and propel your business.
Any marketer who doesn’t want to know about your customers is failing you. They’re developing strategies and tactics that lack critical information so anything they do is an educated guess.
As a business owner, you want marketing that makes an impact. You want marketing that resonates with customers because it reflects their needs and their experiences.
As important, marketing thrives when a product or service delivers value and delights. Armed with a good product, marketers can create effective messaging and campaigns drive awareness.
On the other hand, good marketing will only go so far is a product is mediocre. In an always-on world, a bad product will quickly be exposed.
If you’re an entrepreneur thinking about leveraging marketing to accelerate growth, the first step is remembering the fundamentals: product and the customers being served.
From there, it is easier to assess marketing with the potential to succeed. A marketer who comes in talking about things such as growth hacks, A/B testing, and the power of Facebook advertising needs to take a big step backward before you can take them seriously.

I make marketing work for fast-growing companies and companies looking to grow faster.
Through strategic and tactical services, I create marketing that drives brand awareness, customer engagement and sales growth. My approach to marketing is underpinned by storytelling, creativity, and proven frameworks.
If you’re an entrepreneur looking for hand-picked content, subscribe to my free weekly newsletter focused on marketing, operations, sales, raising money…and some Canadian news.
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