A Few Riffs on Modern Marketing

“Marketing is no longer about shouting in a crowded marketplace; it is about participating in a dialogue with fellow travelers.”

–Michael Hyatt, Platform book

The philosophies of content marketing ring truer each year. In the world of targeted ads, marketing is so much less about looking cool, and so much more about bringing the most value. How generous can a business be before they make a sale? The ones designed to be the most generous are the ones that grow. 

Selling things online is almost impossible. You’re not one box on the shelf of one hundred boxes. You’re one needle in a stack of one million nearly identical needles. You better make sure that needle sticks a few places before you get any ideas. 

Trust is the main currency being exchanged with modern marketing. The more trust you can build with people who want to go where you can take them, the better shot you have at really selling something. 

We know this. We know that we have to bring value and be generous. But it’s so easy to get corporation-jealous. The trouble with pulling inspiration from big companies is we’re not even playing the same game. They have unlimited budgets, and unlimited power.

It’s an uphill climb for small companies. Trying to out-shout the big guys makes your voice hoarse. 

Identify your fellow travelers. Start a dialogue. Then start selling something.