What is marketing, exactly?
This question has come up a few times recently and I'm realizing a lot of people are afraid to ask the question. (Kudos to those of you who stepped up to the plate and finally asked!) People confused by the term "marketing" and it’s easy to understand why - it’s complicated! Most of us know a graphic designer and a social media person and a website developer and we probably all know this is related to marketing somehow but it's still kind of messy and confusing.
I see marketing as a big overarching umbrella that encompasses a bunch of interconnected functions like branding, graphic design, social media, websites, SEO, emails, paid advertising, content writing, lead generation, and the list goes on…
In my experience, many entrepreneurs and solopreneurs know that they need help with their marketing but they're not totally sure where to start. Oftentimes, they hire a specialist for one specific area that they know they need help with. The potential problem with this approach is that it may not take into account how that one specific function relates to other areas of their marketing.
For example, hiring a social media specialist might help you gain awareness and followers on the platforms you're on, but is your website set up to convert visitors to leads? Do you have an email marketing system in place to stay in front of your contacts after they become leads? What does your sales cycle look like? (Ok, sorry if I overwhelmed you a little bit just then.)
The point is - there are SO many pieces to the marketing puzzle! It can be easy to get laser focused on one specific tactic, thinking that it will help your business but if you aren’t taking the step back to look at the entire picture, you may engage with a specialist and find yourself wondering - ok, but now what? Or worse, was that really worth my investment?
Working with a marketing generalist (or strategist) gives you the benefit of a 10,000 foot view. We don't just look at one little piece of the marketing pie. You get an outsider's perspective on ALL of your marketing efforts. Getting an all-encompassing assessment and strategic recommendations for your marketing will help you achieve your goals faster and set you down a clearly defined path on how to get there.