Thread by @alexgarcia_atx

My Theory On Marketing 🧵

Marketing sometimes gets a negative perception. As a marketer I get it. At the end of the day, we use our skills to make money. Of course, building relationships, providing value, and building communities are the goal.

But at the same time, without money, these things wouldn’t be possible. Because money is at the end of marketing efforts — more often than not, marketers abuse their powers to make a quick buck.

This fuels the fire that marketers ruin everything.

But, the few that use marketing to make their stamp in their world — those are the ones truly using their skills to make a difference, to bring people together, and to provide positive experiences in their customer’s life.

This is the true beauty within marketing.

1. What is marketing?

Marketing is building relationships on a one-on-one basis with people who have similar interests and desires as you.

It’s not funnels, growth loops, Facebook ads, copywriting, or everything in between that we as marketers use to drive conversions.

Marketing is simply the act of building relationships.

The modern-day brand is story-led. This doesn’t mean grabbing a megaphone and telling our story to the world.

It’s actually two-fold:

1. It’s telling our story/narrative to the people who it would resonate with

2. It’s attracting people who also fit the narrative we’re telling

Let's look at an example

1. Apple told the story of being inspired by people who advanced our world

2. They told the narrative that their products give you the ability to change the world as well

This attracts the right people to your brand.

This is a crucial aspect of building relationships.

By telling your story and showing how consumers fit into the narrative you can start on your journey of building your tribe.

People naturally like to feel like they’re part of a community/tribe who share similar beliefs, desires, problems, and interests.

Marketing makes this possible. The internet scales it.

Here’s what I believe true marketing is capable of:

1. Creating a positive impact in an individuals life
2. Bringing people together who are similar
3. Giving people a sense of belonging
4. Creating change

At the end of the day, each person is one on one with your content. You’re not speaking to an audience of all, but one.

It then goes from 1 to 2 and on. Using the tools we’re given we can get from 2-3. This is how a tribe is built. One by one by one.

Understanding this will help use the tools to create a more personable one-on-one experience for consumers.

But at no time in point are the tools, marketing.

2. What's the best way to build relationships?

Hands down, content.

Content is insanely powerful.

Content reaches parts of this world (thanks to the internet) that it would’ve never reached before.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve started building relationships from all over the world — and it all started with content.

Without it, these relationships would be nonexistent.

Why?

Content gives you an insight into a person’s mind, thoughts, interests, desires, hobbies, passions, and the list continues.

When distributed — it travels from place to place in hopes of finding people who share the same thoughts, interests, desires, hobbies, and passions.

And when it makes its way to someone similar — without knowing, a connection starts building.

Over time, through the consistent creation and distribution of your content, consumers feel like they know the individual on the other end.

Here the relationship starts.

The relationship then gets forged through consistently meeting the consumer's expectations.

But it all starts with content.

For example, how has content helped me build relationships?

Over the last month, I decided to really start focusing on putting my thoughts, perspective, experiences, and insights into the world through content.

Specifically content that only focuses on modern-day marketing.

The result have been mind-blowing.

I’ve reached people who before a month ago — would’ve never known I had existed, specifically, through content.

I started a series of marketing threads. For 50 days straight, I am publishing a marketing-based thread in hopes of connecting with people who also love marketing.

So far, I’m 12 threads in and I’ve started building more relationships than ever.

Why?

Because people are reading my content and connecting with what I'm writing, the goals I’m after, my stance on marketing, and my interest in helping people become better marketers.

Them resonating with this opens the door for communication.

Content is your door to communication.

Use it to start forging relationships with like-minded individuals.

Understand this — then scale it.

3. Marketing at Scale

Just to refresh, marketing is building relationships on a one-to-one basis with people who have similar interests and desires as you.

Marketing is not the FB ads, IG ads, banner ads, billboards, funnels, growth loops, etc.

These are the tools to help us scale our marketing efforts.

They help us find and communicate with people who we could've not reached otherwise.

If anything, they’re tools to communicate.

Each one of them.

A video helps you communicate your story.

Copy helps you communicate your message.

A growth loop helps you communicate at different points of a customer's experience.

But, it’s all communicating. These tools won’t build the relationship. Your ability to communicate to the right people with the right message will.

Today’s tools have made this easier than ever.

At no other point was it easier to target people individually based on their interests, demographic, financials, purchase behavior, etc

For marketers who are trying to build lasting relationships, this is a blessing.

Why?

Because in 5 minutes you can get a campaign off the floor and infant of the right people.

But with ease comes abuse.

4. Why Do These Tools Get a Bad Rep?

Marketers are known for ruining everything.

Why?

Because many marketers abuse the tools around them to make quick money.

The tools around us have made it easier than ever for someone to launch a campaign and get a product you have no need for in your feed.

This saturates your feed with hype, scammy, and foolish marketing tactics with bold promises and empty solutions.

Many times we use these tools to only drive metrics. We obsess over the video views, the engagement rate, the CTR…and not about the one person on the other end who is giving you their time.

These tools should be used to get you in front of the right people, using the right content to communicate, and providing them with the right products to solve their problems.

When this is the case — marketing is beautiful.

Want more breakdowns and how-tos on your feed? Then make sure to follow @alexgarcia_atx because I'm doing one for the next 37 days.

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Takeaways:

1. Marketing is about building relationships
2. It's done on a one-to-one basis
3. Everything else is a tool to help you scale these efforts
4. They can be used for good, and they can be used for bad
5. Use them for good if you want to create change