18/05/2022
Philip Kotler is a foremost marketing expert. Years ago, he shared a viewpoint on what marketing is not.Ā
āMarketing is not the art of finding clever ways to dispose of what you make. Itās the art of creating genuine customer value.ā Philip Kotler
As I reflected on this saying, I realised that what he captured in this statement is where marketing for any product, service, or idea beginsāthe customer.Ā
Oftentimes, what happens is that businesses come up with an idea, assemble a team and turn it into a product without giving adequate attention to understanding the customer.Ā
The result is that creators make something they think the customer will like and start looking for ways to sell to them; instead of creating real value for their customers.Ā
The lesson from this sage is that marketing begins with a good understanding of your target customersāwhere they are, their aspirations, and their challenges.Ā
Itās when your product, services, or brand serves as the bridge to where they are going that you have created genuine customer value.
Once you create genuine customer value, selling becomes a lot easier because you understand your target customers' problems and have developed a product that just meets their needs.Ā
Now That We Know Thisā¦
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Letās not rush to create a product or service, or try to sell a brand without first understanding the target audience so well that what we create for them suits perfectly.Ā
Your book is a product. Donāt finish writing before you start thinking about marketing; let your title, content, and style of writing reflect your understanding of your target readers.
You donāt even start a blog, create a course or even create a post without clarity about your reader. When you know them, your content will feel like you are in their mind. In fact, you will be hearing, āthis post is just for meā everywhere.š
With this understanding, your marketing messages will call them out, stop them on their track and make them buy.
Help a creator or business owner create better customer value by sharing this with them.