This is Marketing (in 8 steps)

I was recently inspired by Seth Godin's latest work "This is Marketing".

Here are 8 steps to do it the right way:

1. Start with empathy to see a real need.

That means a need that already exists and not "how do we create desire for this thing we just made".

Your job is to find already existing desires, unearth them, and channel them towards your product.

You can't create desire (unless you have a lot of money and even then nothing is guaranteed).

2. Focus on the smallest viable market.

You can always aim for "the whole market" and millions of people.

If you fall short, who cares? You went big!

But that is a form of hiding.

What if you tried to serve a small group of only ten people? Most don't do this because if you cant succeed with only ten people then you've really screwed it up.

Find a tribe.

Focus on them.

Make that niche in the market yours and own it.

Be the de facto standard.

3. Match the worldview of the people you serve.

Before you can be seen and heard you need to learn how to see and listen.

Everyone has an existing worldview. Often, they're not even aware of it.

Learn that worldview, respect it, and then find the need where you can create something for it.

4. Make it easy to spread.

Part of being remarkable is doing something worth making a remark about.

You're better off creating something worth talking about with a few people than something that gets lost in the noise trying to reach thousands.

Find ways to bring the people "who do things like this" together so it's easier for them to find one another.

They'll be the ones who go and spread your idea to others.

5. Earn attention and trust of those you serve, then keep it.

Trust is earned through empathy, generosity, and the emotional labor it takes to continue delivering on a promise.

6. Offer ways to go deeper.

Instead of looking for more people for your work, look for ways to do more work for the people you already serve.

The more time you spend looking for "more" the less attention you give to those who are already here for more of "you".

7. Create and relieve tension.

At every step of their journey, find ways to create and relieve tension.

As the people you serve progress in their journeys toward their goals, they have a narrative that you can influence for the better.

We all tell ourselves a story about the world we see and why we're seeing what's in front of us.

8. Show up.

Show up and do it often.

Do it with humility and curiosity.

Greatness is simply consistently showing up with the same deep love for the work.

Omar M. Khateeb is a Silicon Valley-based marketer that develops strategies based on behavioral economics and digital transformation to guide healthtech companies adapt to newly connected markets. 

He currently serves as the Director of Growth Marketing & Branding at Potrero Medical, a predictive health company that is developing the next generation of smart sensors and artificial intelligence. Currently, Potrero is focused on commercializing Accuryn? Monitoring System, a critical care monitoring system that measures urine output, intra-abdominal pressure, and core body temperature.