Don’t be Afraid to Give

A marketing expert is usually associated with the image of a snake oil salesman.

A marketer’s job is not to sell a product. Not that selling a product to someone is bad (no offense, salesmen), but marketing is more about understanding the buyer and building a relationship based on trust and value.

But why are we marketers afraid to “give”? Why do we continue to run ads and optimize for conversions, with that one-time sale and trade of customer information as the main goal?

Marketing is about understanding our audience, who they are and not just about what makes them “tick” to buy or close a deal. It’s by understanding their behavior and the gaps that we can fill with the value we intend to give.

Building relationships takes time.

There’s nothing more effective as a marketing strategy than building loyalty by creating a deeper relationship with your audience. Don’t be afraid to give more time and attention to your market. Be deliberately generous.

Marketing and Generosity seem like an ironic pair in a sentence. But marketing is nothing more than looking for opportunities to be able to give value by understanding the customer and knowing how to build long-lasting mutual relationships with them.

Be aware of their wants and sensitive to their needs. Know their fears, not so you can use them to manipulate them, but to craft a buying experience that strengthens the product’s value and builds trust.