Marketing Concepts All Business Owners Should Understand
Dave Simon
Marketing Strategist. Business Development Manager at Ensemble Performing Arts.
As a small business owner, you may think you’re in the business of making products or offering services. But at its core, your business is really about one thing: marketing. To grow and thrive, you must not only create great products or services but also master the skill of marketing. It’s the heartbeat of any successful business.
Let’s explore why marketing is the essential skill that every business owner must master and what it truly means to be in the marketing business.
Marketing Is More Than Advertising, Sales, and Social Media
There’s a common misconception that marketing is synonymous with advertising, sales, or social media. While these are tools of marketing, they are not the essence of it.
Marketing, in its purest form, is the process of identifying a specific audience with a specific problem and developing products or services that solve or eliminate that problem. It’s about offering a cure to those who are in need of a solution and making sure they are aware of your fix.
In other words, marketing is about seeking out those in need and helping them—not just promoting a product or service. This perspective shifts marketing from a “pushy” sales tactic to an act of service.
Marketing Is About Solving Problems
As business owners, we often focus on the technical aspects of what we offer, but marketing forces us to think from the customer’s point of view. People don’t buy products just because they exist—they buy them because they solve a problem or fulfill a need, often driven by emotions.
Take a haircut, for example. A person doesn’t just get a haircut because they need shorter hair; they get it because their overgrown hair makes them feel less confident, less put-together, and not polished. The haircut solves the problem of feeling less than their best.
Similarly, a person doesn’t buy a car solely for transportation. They buy a car that reflects their values—whether those values are about being modest or flamboyant. They buy a car that makes them feel safe, or perhaps one that symbolizes success. The purchase is driven by the desire to project an identity or to feel a certain way.
All purchases are driven by emotions—a desire for something different, something better, or a solution to a pressing problem.
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Marketing Is Both a Theoretical and Tactical Skill
Marketing has two essential components: the theoretical side and the tactical side.
These tactics are not marketing in themselves; they are tools that allow you to communicate your solution to those who need it. Your goal is to make those in need aware that you have the solution they’ve been looking for.
Why Marketing Is the Key to Business Growth
If you want your business to grow, mastering marketing is not optional. It’s the driving force behind every successful business, because the essence of business is solving problems. Marketing helps you connect the dots between your solution and those who need it.
As a business owner, your role isn’t just to make and broadcast a message about your product or service; it’s to find ways to help people and let them know how you can do it.
When you understand that you’re not just a business owner, but a marketer with a mission to solve problems, your entire perspective on marketing will shift. And that’s when your business will begin to thrive.
The Takeaway: Marketing Is About Helping, Not Selling
At the end of the day, marketing is about helping those in need. People buy products because they believe they will fix a problem, fulfill a need, or make their lives better in some way. Your job as a marketer is to identify those needs and present your business as the solution.
When you master this skill, you unlock the true potential of your business. Marketing is not just a task—it’s the foundation for growth, success, and helping your audience live better, more fulfilled lives.
So ask yourself: Are you ready to master marketing and help your business reach new heights?