If you’re at a party and someone asks you what you do for a living, what reaction do you get if you tell them you’re in marketing?
Do they quickly notice that they’re out of punch and make a run for the punchbowl? Do they hastily look for someone more reputable—like the used car salesman standing over in the corner by himself? A lot of people aren’t crazy about marketing because they think it’s all about trying to strong-arm people into buying something they don’t want in the first place.
But what if you could create marketing that people love? I don’t mean creating ads with talking Chihuahuas or singing beer bottles. People may think those are fun, but half the time they don’t even remember which company was represented in the ad. I’m talking about marketing that people love because it gives them the information they are looking for and helps them solve a problem. I’m talking about marketing that is so doggone helpful that people keep coming back to your website for more—even if they don’t buy from you right away.
People don’t really hate marketing. They hate bad marketing. They hate it when companies try to sell them what the company thinks is best—instead of helping them make the choice that’s right for them. People love it when companies take a genuine interest in what is going to make the consumer happy.
If you have a good product and you make a compelling case for how it can help someone solve a problem they have, that’s not arm-twisting. That’s service. And people love to be served. If you want to do that, find out what questions your customers are asking and answer them—even if it means that your product or service isn’t right for them right now. When they run into a friend or colleague who needs what you offer, they’ll tell them about you. That’s marketing that people love.
And the next time you’re at a party and someone asks you what you do for a living, you can tell them that you help people solve their problems. It’s a lot better than drinking punch all by yourself!
Blog Post Written by Spencer Powell
Spencer is the Inbound Marketing Director at TMR Direct. Spencer specializes in helping clients create and execute effective inbound marketing campaigns.