The title of this post is a question I field often. When I poll a room of small business owners I get lots of different answers, most, more or less, pointing to advertising or other lead generation activities….
To some extent the confusion comes from textbook definitions that don’t translate well to the real world. Here’s one from the American Heritage Dictionary: “The commercial functions involved in transferring goods from producer to consumer.” That was helpful wasn’t it?
I like the definition at SmallBusiness.com, a great small business wiki, a little better. In plain and simple terms, marketing activities and strategies result in making products available that satisfy customers while making profits for the companies that offer those products.
But, for the small business, here is the Duct Tape Marketing definition: Getting someone, who has a need, to know, like and trust you. Now, when you have a marketing system in place this expands to – getting someone, who has a need, to know, like, trust, contact and refer you.
Awareness and trust are it for the real world small business and unless you’ve got oodles of cash laying around to buy that through heart-warming TV spots, you better get down in the trenches and figure out how to educate, give and build trust.
So, do a small business owner a favor and share this simple definition with them. It just might make marketing a little easier.
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Thanks for the great definition, John. As a small business owner facing the marketing mountain and trying to figure out which face to climb, I’m constantly challenged – especially when all I’ve got in my backback is an old piece of nylon rope and I’m wearing a pair of Chuck Taylor’s (oh, and some duct tape,too:)
Tom,
Hopefully you’ve learned that you’re not alone in the climb. Most small business owners would admit to carrying about the same, but I hope this definition allows you to focus on developing some marketing tactics that serve long term as opposed to the “idea of the week” thinking that inflicts many small business owners.
Best of luck
John,
Quite!!! like that definition and for me the crucial missing element is BUY.
So how about marketing is
the process of communicating to your ideal clients how you solve their problems and help them say yes I want to buy from you.???
Bev
Bev
Marketing for small business is marketing with direct resutls vs. image marketing.
My definition of marketing, for businesses large or small, is: Marketing = managing perceptions, motivations and expectations.