What marketing ISN’T and IS

I notice that leaders often struggle to attract the right people and scale their organizations effectively because they have misconceptions about what marketing is.

Here are some things marketing is NOT:

❌ Marketing is NOT content creation.
❌ Marketing is NOT graphic design.
❌ Marketing is NOT social media.
❌ Marketing is NOT "getting your name out there".

When we meet business owners and organizational leaders to talk about strategy for the first time, that's often what we encounter.

We ask about their marketing and these are the things they talk about.

I’m not saying these things aren’t important. And I’m not saying they don’t have a place, because ABSOLUTELY they do!

But none of those are what marketing IS. And if that’s the way you think, you are likely frustrated by your results.


So, what IS marketing? Here's a good list to shift your thinking:

💡 Marketing IS a continuous way of thinking and communicating.
💡 Marketing IS expressing your value and leadership to the marketplace.
💡 Marketing IS discerning the essence of your brand.
💡 Marketing IS great clarity around how your customers' lives will improve from trusting you and becoming involved with your organization.
💡 Marketing IS putting compelling messaging exactly where your customers are looking.
💡 Marketing IS ensuring your customer experience is resonant with what is presented in your media.
💡 Marketing IS mastering the art of persuasion.
💡 Marketing IS studying your analytics and tweaking your strategy.
💡 Marketing IS an ongoing process that is never complete or concluded.

Do you have misconceptions about marketing? Your results will tell you. If you are struggling to grow, scale, or attract the people you need (whom you will pay or who will pay you)
you may need to look at the way you think about marketing.