What is Marketing?

A professional recently told me that my resume was geared more toward sales positions, given that it was growth-focused. I quietly laughed to myself because, like many, she had a misunderstanding of what marketing is.

In today's world, where media has never been so abundant, it's easy to misconstrue marketing with tactics. Moreover, the overwhelming number of professionals claiming to be 'marketing gurus' whose primary skill is posting beautiful photos on Instagram doesn't help the situation. 

What is marketing? 

Let me break it down for you…  

• If Drake is coming to town and you put up a billboard saying, "Drake is Coming to Kansas City this Summer," that's advertising. 

• If you wrap a local city bus with the same graphics, that's promotion. 

• If the wrapped bus breaks down and blocks rush hour traffic on the freeway, and the news outlets pick up the story, that's publicity. 

• If the concert sells out, that's sales. 

• And if you planned it all, that's marketing. 

Marketing is the strategy you use for getting your ideal target market to know you, like you, and trust you enough to become a paying customer. 

Marketing is not posting photos to Instagram, uploading a video to TikTok, or shooting out a 50-character tweet. Don’t get me wrong, strategy is nothing more than a tree falling in the woods without mentioned tactics, but there is a definite pecking order; first strategy, second tactics.

Most people skip the strategy and go straight to tactics. Then, six months later, they realize they aren't achieving their desired return—this is where marketing can and often does get a bad reputation.  

Have you ever gone to Costco hungry without a list? Me too, and it's not pretty. In a nutshell, that's tactile marketing without a strategy. You spend more money and time and get less of what you need. Then, when you realize ten super-sized bags of chips don't make a complete dinner, you're back at the store... but probably with a list this time. 

If you want to experience a return on your marketing efforts, i.e., convert more customers and grow your bottom line, it's imperative to know what marketing is.

My most gifted book is the 1-Page Marketing Plan by Allan Dib. Allan does an excellent job of breaking down Marketing and creating actionable steps to achieving your desired sales results. I also enjoy his weekly emails with easy-to-digest marketing nuggets.