Moms are awesome! They have amazing wisdom and insight on everything under the sun. Moms openly share them at the most important and meaningful times. What you may not know is your Mom’s life advice is great marketing advice too.
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Here are 15 reasons why Mom was right about marketing:
- “Anything worth having is worth working for.”
- “Never miss an opportunity to learn something new.”
- “Always be curious.”
- “There’s a lid for every pot.”
- “Never change who you are for someone else.”
- “Eat the elephant one bite at a time.”
- “PB & J tastes really good when someone else makes it for you.”
- “Life is not fair — get over it and move on.”
- “Whatever you do, do it well.”
- “Don’t compare yourself to others.”
- “Nobody else knows what’s best for your baby.”
- “Good things come to those who wait.”
- “If you can’t say something nice about someone, don’t say anything at all.”
- “The only people who never make mistakes are people who never do anything.”
- “I told you so.”
Here are 15 reasons why Mom was right about marketing:
1. “Anything worth having is worth working for.”
Marketing, like everything else in this world, is work. Even in the digital age, marketing is work. So, if you want marketing results, you’ll have to work for them. You’ll need to put time and energy to compete with that guy trying to get people to buy Jeff Goldblum show curtains. Work hard. Your Mom will be proud of you.
2. “Never miss an opportunity to learn something new.”
Marketing is great because it’s always evolving. New platforms, new ideas, new techniques, and new perspectives are abounding. There are hundreds of places to learn something new. Google anything you want to get better at and you’ll be met with video and service-based solutions. Picking up a Facebook, Google, or HubSpot certification will serve you well. Then the next time you see your Mom you can show her something you learned and put a smile on her face.
3. “Always be curious.”
Curiosity might have killed the cat, but it makes a great marketer. Stay curious about a better way to deliver your message. Today A/B testing is quicker and easier than ever. Whether it’s testing email subject lines, PPC ad copy, landing page images, or the color of a button – always be curious to find out what might work better than what’s working now. Curiosity about why you played video games for 20 hours straight is why your Mom made you show her how to play Grand Theft Auto.
4. “There’s a lid for every pot.”
As they say, one size does not fit all. It’s good marketing advice too. During a session at HubSpot Unbound 2018, Dominic Woodman of Distilled shared his experience with A/B testing in Search Engine Optimization (SEO). He concluded there are no conclusions to be had. All he can do is test until something works. Expand that to your overall marketing efforts. There’s a marketing lid for your company, it just may take some time to discover it. Your Mom knows you’re one-of-a-kind.
5. “Never change who you are for someone else.”
Some of the most successful companies in history stay the course. How is it that McDonald’s has been searching for a way back to marketing dominance since offering salads and In-N-Out Burger is the envy of the fast-food industry with only ever selling hamburgers, fries, and soda? Pick a lane. Then stay in it no matter what. Your Mom thinks you’re great just the way you are.
6. “Eat the elephant one bite at a time.”
Marketing products and services today can seem daunting. It can be. The best way to move your marketing needle is to break it down into bite-size pieces and taking on each one at a time. Small marketing wins are better than no wins. Eating one bite of the elephant at a time is how your Mom taught you how to ride a bike.
7. “PB & J tastes really good when someone else makes it for you.”
Remember, everyone likes even the most routine or simple things done for them. Your job is to help your customers get out from under the things they don’t really want to do. Think of all the things in your life you have others do. Show up with a great solution to your customer’s problems and give them a reason to let you do it. Mom’s PB & J, is there anything better? We think not.
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8. “Life is not fair — get over it and move on.”
Just like life, marketing isn’t fair. What worked to get your company leads at $.50 last year, may not deliver the same results next year. It’s not fair. Listen to your Mom and get over it then move on.
9. “Whatever you do, do it well.”
One of the best things about marketing is the ability to control the quality of your messages. Whether you have a budget of $2,000 a month or $2,000,000 a month, decide to put out the best campaign material possible. You’ll make your Mom proud.
10. “Don’t compare yourself to others.”
It’s not how you look standing next to a really fit person in the gym, it’s about how you look compared to you. Today is easy to see what every company’s marketing looks like. It’s also easy to compare your company’s marketing against other brands with huge budgets. Try to avoid this. The real question is, “How well are you marketing your products and services compared to how you should be marketing them?” Your Mom thinks you’re unique. And you are.
11. “Nobody else knows what’s best for your baby.”
If you live and breathe your company’s mission, you know what’s best for it. You’re the closest to it and it’s your name or livelihood. Take advice from others then make the best marketing decision you can. This advice worked for your Mom with her mother-in-law. It’ll work for you.
12. “Good things come to those who wait.”
Marketing is a marathon, not a sprint. If it were a sprint Walmart, Facebook, Google, and Apple wouldn’t still be spending millions on advertising. Plant your marketing tree. Provide it with food and water. Then let it grow. Your Mom waited out your teenage years. You can be patient too.
13. “If you can’t say something nice about someone, don’t say anything at all.”
Only a couple of brands can get away with negativity. If you’ve been following Wendy’s Twitter account over the last 5 years, you’ve seen dozens of attempts to call them out only to be put in their place. Head your Mom’s advice and rethink hitting the send button.
14. “The only people who never make mistakes are people who never do anything.”
The truth is, you will make mistakes in marketing your products and services. Nobody’s perfect. Dust yourself off. Then keep keeping on. Take the people in your life who aren’t in marketing giving you marketing advice with a grain of salt. Thank them for their time, them get back to it. Your Mom’s not perfect. Then again, she was in the game.
15. “I told you so.”
The pillars of marketing really haven’t changed. What’s the difference between Influencer Marketing in 2018 and a 1983 endorsement? The name. Whether it’s DJ Khaled Mentos Gum Concert Challenge or Michael Jackson with a Pepsi, some things never change. Celebrities telling people to buy products will always work. Become familiar with marketing fundamentals and violate them at your own risk. We may not say we told you so, but your Mom will.
Related article: How to Close More Sales When You Start with the End in Mind