Marketing 101: From First Form to First Follow-up

What is "marketing," really? It's a term that gets thrown around a lot, but for many business owners, it feels complicated. Let's simplify it. This post breaks down what marketing is, why it matters, and how to think about it in a way that actually works.

What is Marketing?

In the simplest terms: Marketing is letting people know you exist. That's it.

Once you accept this simple definition, you realize that most of what you do in your business is a form of marketing. It generally falls into two categories:

• Inbound Marketing: This is when people come to you. It includes your website, your social media presence, and any content you create (like this blog) that attracts people to your business.
• Outbound Marketing: This is when you go out and find people. This includes activities like cold calling, direct email outreach, and paid advertising.

Common Marketing Activities

Based on that definition, your marketing activities include:

• Telling people you meet in person about your business.
• Creating content for your website, social media, and ads.
• Reaching out to people who don't know you yet, whether through cold calls, emails, social media messages, events or ads.
• Informing current customers about new products, services, or promotions.
• Reminding your audience why they should choose you over competitors.
• Asking for referrals and reviews.
• Establishing partnerships with other businesses who consistently refer customers to you.

Why Marketing is Everything for Growth

What follows marketing is a sale. Simply said, a sale is the process of helping someone make a buying decision. 80-94% of that decision was made during the marketing phase.

This is why marketing is so critical. If you don't do it, people won't know you exist, and you won't have any customers. If you do it well, you can attract the right people to your business and either help them directly or guide them to someone who can.

It's the foundation upon which all sales are built.