When you think of Marketing, what comes to mind? That pushy salesman? That annoying ad on Pandora or Spotify? The junk mail that shows up somehow in your mailbox (and your inbox)? The party your friend wants you to go to so you’ll buy an expensive product or service that will somehow help your friend out? That corny ad (albeit sometimes entertaining) that interrupts your show or video? Mad Men?

Or maybe you work in a Marketing role. Do you think of Marketing as the number of likes/comments/views you receive on a social media campaign? The ROAS on that last email campaign? The amazing response rate on that flyer you mailed? That beautiful search engine optimized website that saw traffic jump this month?

Whatever your response to the question, Marketing is not an annoying ad or junk mail/email. It is also not social media campaigns, SEO, or performance measures that define a successful marketing initiative. Marketing is not about wringing the most dollars out of the customer’s wallet or somehow convincing the customer to spend more than they planned. It’s not about making more money and selling more products or services. So what is great Marketing?

Great Marketing is about creating and nurturing relationships with people that have a need. It’s about a higher purpose to provide value, to inform, and to inspire! Great Marketing focuses on assisting people in life, helping them improve their existence and enlighten their purpose. Great Marketing is about building long term relationships with people while making the world a better place!

With that in mind, let’s focus on the purpose of great Marketing and embark on a journey to find and create great Marketing in our world! Let’s focus on helping people, not on reaching certain numbers! Let’s do what great marketers really should do. Let’s build and nurture relationships by informing, inspiring, and enlightening people! #GreatMarketing