On romanticism and marketing

Visit the Grand Canyon, the premier giant crack in the Earth

Prove it
A cynic is a romantic who’s been disappointed a lot. That old chestnut. I think writers get a lot of flak for being romantic and impractical, but in my time as a marketer/journalist, I’ve seen a lot of hardnosed writers ask “will it sell?” No one is more suspicious of marketing than marketing people—I won’t say you’re the premier sausage maker in the Southwestern United States. I will ask you to prove it. If someone else says that, cool. Let’s ask them to put in on LinkedIn or Facebook. Although, if they use the word “premier,” we probably don’t want to be associated with them.

It’s about the audience–not you
I don’t want your fluff. How much does it cost? Does it work? Can I get a job with this degree? I think writers make good marketers because the lessons we learned from writing still apply. Writing is all about—in the end—the reader. Oh sure, we write for ourselves too. But if you’ve ever tried to make a go at writing professionally, you know you have to please your reader.

What CAN marketing do?
Marketing is the same. You have to meet your customer’s expectations and needs or you won’t succeed. That’s what’s frustrating about being a marketer. Clients want to sell what they have to sell, and they’re quite convinced everyone needs and wants what they have to offer; marketers know better. They might need it and they might even want it, but they don’t want to be parted with their money unless they’re convinced it will make them happy. That’s where marketing comes in. You don’t make someone want something they would never want. You show them what they want and convince them you can provide it better, cheaper, faster than your competition.