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This is why marketing is hard
So how to learn marketing? Why no one tells me what EXACT THINGS to do??!?!?! π€π€π€
Well, it is because of learning marketing β learning coding.
Coding is a process with a predictable output. If you use CSS βopacity:0β an element disappears. It happens every time for every student.
In contrast, marketing is not a technical science.
It is a dynamic field that combines art, creativity, analysis and science. Unlike coding, marketing outcomes can vary based on 100000 factors: audience, timing, competition, platform, channel, brand perception, cultural context, execution, budget etc.
This is why marketers often speak in principles rather than exact steps. They might say "understand your audience" instead of "use these exact words." The 1st one adapts to various situations, while the 2nd might only work in specific contexts.
This is why effective marketing requires adaptability, critical thinking, and continuous learning rather than following a set of instructions.
This is why no one gives you the answers. Only clues to find them.
And this is why marketing seems so "hard" π
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β¨ My π https://x.com/alexanderisorax
π§ My newslttr: https://10k.isora.me/
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Alexandra Goss
Haha, I love the way you put it, that's very true. I find that a lot of my techie clients get frustrated easily when they try something and it doesn't yield immediate results
The thing is, though, the more you do marketing, the more predictable it gets as you gather enough insights to make data-driven educated guesses
Also, while there's no one-fits-all marketing solution, there are generally safe, tried-and-tested paths that would make sense for most early-stage companies
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@my3_murthy Trust me, not just techies π
pretty much every client I've worked with wanted me to commit to certain KPIs
Which is fair enough, I, for one, don't always understand everything they do. And I think it's our job to educate and manage expectations
It's apples and oranges. One aspect of why marketing is hard is because there're so many variables for even the simplest of campaigns to perform well. Coding is hard because there're a thousand different ways to do the same thing, but with subtle or not-so-subtle differences in the output. These differences will matter sooner or later. And these ways change with time. I guess you could say coding is not easy to learn (at least enough to be a professional), hard to master. Marketing is easy to learn basics, but very hard to master. Unfortunately, this is why many think that they can do marketing, but when you ask deep questions, their answers become shallow.
So, while these differences make it difficult to compare marketing and coding, they do offer a refreshing change when you're context switching while problem solving. Otherwise, it could get boring.
@aruna_neervannan1 this is such a great addition, thanks Aruna.
Yes, people who have never did real marketing think that writing a post is easy cuz you only need to type letters and words π What can be easier? π
Pls say it louder for the people in the back who expect marketing to be a logical science and give immediate results.
I couldn't even replicate principles that worked for me to get some attention on LinkedIn with my co-founder
It's really a maze you had to run with eyes closed while your hair is on fire!
I loved your explanation style, very easy to digest. By any chance have you been a teacherπ
My father, who's an electrical engineer, always surprised me by saying that he finds economics a much more complicated science than engineering :D
Marketing is a discipline of economics, so I agree with you 100%.
Generally, any field that has to do with human behaviour is hard because the results of your actions are never predictable and depend on a hundred factors. The job of a good marketer is to study the target market as well as possible and try to find the optimal strategy to conquer it. But no matter how accomplished you are, there will always be failures because human behaviour (and market conditions) is non always predictable.
@natalia_toth Great addition, Natalia. Marketing is working is humans. Humans are unpredictable. It adds complexity.
I totally agree. Marketing is a long-term effort that requires a lot of time for implementation and improvement. It demands most of your time and constant thinking, which can be exhausting. However, this process also offers valuable experiences, making it a meaningful journey in your career.
As you can see, I keep posting and engaging here to gain more exposure for our products, and I enjoy it. If anyone is interested in what product is worth this effort, just check this linkπ
https://www.xspiral.com/
@millisen Yes. In programming, I can use a PHP framework from 2016 and jquery and i can build a working app. In marketing I have to invent new every day
Launching soon!
I think its simple. Marketing is an art. It's abstract. you can't fully learn it, can't fully teach it either.
It requires continuous learning and adaptability. With something like code, if a particular code work for a particular outcome, that's about it. Obviously the outcomes that are required are always changing so new ways to code are developed. (pls correct me if I'm wrong)
Marketing is not formulaic, no artform is. That's why it's hard.
Now you can imagine how hard is my job, that is a mix of Marketing and coding haha
But it is fun
Marketing is harder than coding.
So many hard-to-define variables that go into a black box.
Measuring it is hard too.
So well said - you got me at predictable (engineering) vs unpredictable (marketing)!
Marketing is all about learning through practice. The experiences and summaries of others are important, but sometimes they may not apply to your situation and thus may not be effective. So you can refer to the methods of others, but you must continuously experiment and make mistakes in practice to find the right path for yourself. Communicate more with those who are doing well, and you will gradually develop your own thoughts and ideas.
So true, people think marketing is easy but actually its very difficult because you always have to think out of the box to stay ahead of the customers and get yourself ready with new trends everytime.
Marketing is a mix of art and science and its always evolving Understanding your audience and staying adaptable are key.