- Do take risks: like look at what is always being done and asking “why?”
- Don’t think that just running ads, pay-per-click, or SEO is marketing. That’s a tactic. That should be thought of as advertising.
- Do be creative. Creative isn’t just trying to find a hack for the shortest distant between where you are and where you want to be. Creativity is about exchanging ideas and telling stories that enable that to happen.
- Connect with customers and people. Too much marketing today falls into the category of relying on data at all costs, shooting for the lowest common denominator, etc.
- Look for the human. We need less tactical and more human in our marketing.
- Don’t think that only the new stuff is all you need. By the same token, don’t think that only the basics is all you need either.
- Do understand that the point of marketing is to exchange ideas…no matter what form of business or idea you are sharing.
- Do realize that most of what you see called marketing should be looked at with a skeptical eye. Too much of what we see called marketing is actually advertising and hasn’t been connected to the strategy.
- Do realize that without a solid strategy, marketing is often wasted.
- Do realize that the foundation of any great marketing campaign is what the value is that you and your organization want to deliver.
- Do realize that the job of a business is to create and keep customers, marketing helps do that.
- Do realize that the way you reach people is by targeting them and going to where you are likely to find them. That’s advertising, PR, etc., but it falls under marketing.
- Do understand that the rules and tactics are going to change constantly, but a good foundation of marketing will always work for you and be valuable.