Ever since the beginning of time, people have always sought to condense a belief, a process or a notion down to it’s simplest terms. Marketing is one of those areas. Its full of self proclaimed experts who have found the “key!” to something. I’ll always remember my initial years in trying to get my business off the ground and how confusing they were. There was so much advice out there! I tuned into podcasts, articles and YouTube videos to hear how the experts achieved success or how CEOs became overnight successes by just doing ‘one thing’.

That ‘one thing’ was typically something vague that you would try to implement in your business with your limited understanding which would of course fail.

It wasn’t until a few years ago that I realized many marketing playbooks provide vague advice and paint a hopeful picture for a specific reason: to prevent you from becoming their competition. I want you to be aware of this before you spend thousands of dollars on books or courses from these so-called ‘experts’. Finding reliable marketing information requires skill. It’s important to recognize that you may be susceptible to falling for their apparent success because you too aspire to achieve similar results. It’s perfectly fine to be ambitious and motivated, but developing strong discernment to separate the fluff from the substance is crucial, and that’s what I’ll be discussing in this post.

Start with the basics:

To succeed in marketing, it’s essential to have a solid understanding of both the fundamentals of marketing in general and the specific area you want to specialize in. Take advantage of highly rated and free courses and certifications to gain this foundational knowledge. Once you grasp the core concepts, you’ll be able to comprehend and evaluate the recommendations of other marketers. Keep in mind that marketing, particularly media buying, involves experimentation and insight. Not all advice will be applicable to your unique situation. Therefore, approach marketing advice critically and assess its relevance to your goals and target audience. Remember that what works for one business may not work for another, so it’s crucial to customize your marketing strategies to your specific needs and circumstances. Developing a solid understanding of the basics will enable you to discern valuable advice..

Experimentation: Seasoned marketers engage in daily experimentation as part of their practice. They develop hypotheses, set goals, and conduct tests. The process of testing is like a playground for marketers. It allows them to uncover their biases, pay attention to details, and learn the nuanced metrics of every campaign. Embrace new strategies and tactics, even if they seem unconventional or go against popular trends. The marketing landscape is constantly changing, and what worked in the past may not work today. By being open to experimentation, you can discover unique approaches that differentiate you from competitors and resonate with your target audience. Remember, marketing is both an art and a science. It requires taking risks and learning from both successes and failures.

Marketing advice often provides vague recommendations and paints a hopeful picture to prevent competition. To navigate this, start with a solid understanding of marketing fundamentals and your specific area of interest. Approach advice critically, customize strategies to your needs, and experiment to uncover unique approaches that resonate with your target audience. You’ll never know what you’ll discover!