The word “marketing” is pretty broad. It’s an umbrella term that covers TONS of different processes and services and ideologies… actually, scratch that. “Umbrella” isn’t large enough.
When someone asks us what services we offer, our first response is usually, “Well, we can pretty much do everything under the sun.” And there just aren’t enough umbrellas to cover that one.
Anyways—what we’re trying to say is this: there’s so much to fit into the world of marketing, that a cloud of common marketing myths also seems to be following it around. Here’s just a few of the misconceptions we hear most often, and why we’re lumping them straight into the pile o’ myths.
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MYTH: Marketing & Advertising Are the Same Thing
FACT: Advertising plays just a small part in a marketing plan.
Marketing is the entire continuous plan that backs a product or service to sell to others—think web design, social media management, branding, and so on—while advertising involves the creation of ads for different outlets and platforms with the goal of promoting to specific audiences and getting their attention.
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MYTH: Marketing Delivers Fast Results
FACT: Marketing isn’t always a game of instant gratification. It takes time!
Think you’ll see significant results overnight? Honey (no Hive pun intended), you’ve got another thing comin’. In fact, even the most effective marketing tools can take MONTHS to show any major payoff… we’re looking at you, search engine optimization.
Remember: you’re not the only one in the market (okay, this pun’s intended) for more eyes on your brand—your competitors are out there too, so adjust your mindset accordingly in terms of quick results and timely expectations.
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MYTH: It Works for Them, So It Can Work for Us, Too
FACT: There’s no such thing as a cookie-cutter marketing plan.
A prestigious ballet company probably doesn’t have the same target audience as a punk rock karaoke bar. So why would they create the same strategy, tell the same message, and share the same brand? That’s just it… they wouldn’t.
Find your brand’s “X-Factor”: what makes you one-of-a-kind from the rest? Once you figure that out, be intentional with your brand’s values, a consistent message, and whose attention you’re trying to get. Your marketing plan should be just as unique as your brand is!
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MYTH: Marketing is Only for Reaching New Customers
FACT: Marketing collects new customers and retains current ones.
Shiny, new customers are pretty neat… but what are the ones you have now? Chopped liver? Don’t let your focus remain on new, new, new; you have to keep your current customers coming back as well. Otherwise, you’ll enter a vicious cycle of continuously chasing who’s next—and not even retaining any of them.
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MYTH: Products & Services Can Sell Themselves
FACT: There’s actually more competition out there than you’d think.
Riddle us this: why does Apple stick with such aggressive marketing tactics if their products can sell themselves? Someone, somewhere, offers the same product or service as you. If you sit back and wait for customers to come to you, chances are your competitors will find them first. Marketing pays off!
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TIME IS HONEY! Our Final Thoughts…
It’s a marketing world—and we’re just livin’ in it! Were you surprised to learn that any of the marketing myths you’ve believed for so long just aren’t true? If you were, we’d love to visit with you.
Contact our Hive today to get started on a custom marketing plan that fits your business juuust right.