Marketing CEO has her say

Marketing Myth Busting

If it’s not your speciality, finding best practice for your marketing can be daunting. We asked some experts to break down those misnomers to reveal why it’s easier than you might think

WORDS BY KERRY SMITH AND TOM YOUNG

Marketing is an ever-evolving art form. New platforms, new media, new techniques – so much change can make it difficult to maintain a solid foothold in an industry filled with in-the-know experts telling you what you should be doing.

At Niche, we know that it’s not as intimidating as it seems, so we talked to the crème de la crème of business marketing for their advice, to help shatter those illusions and show that it doesn’t have to be complicated or cost a fortune. Our own CEO, Jenny Cross, often reminds the Niche team that most marketing is targeted at the point of sale – and that’s too late. “Eighty percent of buying decisions are made before the point of sale,” Jenny says. “If you decide to have a takeaway for dinner, you probably already know which one you’re going to, so the decision’s already been made ahead of purchase – no amount of marketing is going to change your mind at that point. Marketing needs to plant the idea of a new option much sooner in the customer’s journey.”

The importance of sharing your story is another misconception – telling your own story doesn’t engage a potential customer if they’re not involved in it. They do care about their own journey, so sell them that instead. “Make the client the hero in their own story,” says Jenny. “The villain is the problem they’re experiencing, and you’re the guide that leads them to the solution. Make your business about them.”

There are so many confusions and misconceptions around marketing that we want to clean up. Who’re you gonna call? Myth-Busters!