Marketing cannot be viewed simply as a cost that you can toss money towards and instantly expect results. It is harmful misconceptions like this that have plagued numerous organizations – and attached a negative connotation to the practice.

If you break marketing down to its purest form: the whole process is designed to raise awareness, increase brand visibility and attract new customers. Marketing needs to be embedded throughout your entire organization – coursing through the very arteries that keep your company propelled forward. Messing up your marketing will ultimately mess up your company’s future.

Stay the course

When the 2008 financial crisis hit, folks didn’t hesitate at all to pull their money from their investments out of fear of losing further money – when in reality, any financial investor worth their weight in billing will tell you to stay the course, and that market fluctuations are the nature of the business.

The exact same scenario translates to the overall health of your business. When economic turmoil rolls in – panic starts to set and expenses need to be shifted. Marketing is typically one of the first items on the chopping block because companies feel it’s okay to live without while they weather the storm. Instead of wiping out the marketing team entirely – you need to adjust your strategies to this new reality and to understand how the needs of your customers have changed.

Be cognizant of what modern marketing is

It is incredibly difficult to be a marketer than it was 15 years ago – as a result of the digital injection shifting the entire climate. Gone are the days where advertisers have a one-way dialogue and talk at consumers. The pendulum has massively shifted thanks to the advent of digital media and they now have a voice and are more than happy to leverage social mediums to project their thoughts.

“The big mistake is thinking that their job is to spend money to get attention. If they think that that is what their job is, they will never ever succeed in marketing,” says best-selling author and entrepreneur, Seth Godin.

It’s all about building trust, creating lasting relationships and raising awareness around your brand. People want to be entertained and engaged via exciting content and storytelling. Stay true to your core values, because the modern day educated consumer can see right through any facades and spins.

“The problem with marketing in today’s world is that marketing is too separated from sales – these are businesses that are playing marketing for the sake of marketing – awards, headlines – they don’t care about selling the product.” Gary Vaynerchuk, Founder, VaynerMedia

At the end of the day – creative is subjective and too many organizations have lead creative and brand development working together with a complete disconnect from sales. The only thing that is right is the audience.

If you don’t have time to do it right the first time – you won’t have the time to do it over. In this digitally perennial sphere we operate in, marketing faux pas will last a long time. It’s imperative to give the market something to talk about and to understand that people really don’t care about you – they care about themselves. And their attention and commitment to you is a reflection of themselves.

As you continue to put the building blocks in place for a strong marketing team that can innovate, create and adapt to this constant shift – it’s important to understand these evolving trends that are emerging as powerhouse marketing tactics.

Are you looking to build out a team of marketers to grow your business? Our team of marketing recruiters in Toronto can help. Get in touch today.