For many people, “marketing” is more or less a dirty word. It comes with connotations of stereotypical and unflattering used-car salesman tropes from film and TV and seems innately manipulative and dishonest.

Of course, some forms of marketing can be exploitative and dishonest – but people who market in this way often don’t make long-term successes of themselves. Instead, their prospective customers frequently punish them by leaving them high and dry, and giving them negative reviews.

When all is said and done, “marketing” is really about letting people know that your business exists, and giving them a good reason to take you seriously.

Some people, in some professions, like to think they can avoid marketing. In fact, though, digital marketing for hospitals is often a necessity, just as it is for artists and writers.

Here are a few reasons why even your job requires some marketing.

• Because if no one knows about you, you’re not going to make a living

Think about the companies and products that you feel have made a positive impact in your life in some way. Now ask yourself, “would I have benefited from this product or service if I never knew it existed?”

It’s a stupid question, of course. But it gets to the heart of the issue here.

When all is said and done, you could have the very best product or service in your particular niche, but if no one ever knows about you, you’re never going to make a living, and you’re never going to be able to share what you do with the world.

At baseline, some level of marketing is essential, even just in order to let people know that you exist.

 

• Because you will inevitably be faced with competitors who are willing to make ambitious promises

 

There are an amazing array of opportunities for starting up your own business these days, and the Internet has meant that it is now perhaps easier than ever before to become a successful solopreneur.

The flipside to this, though, is that competition is fierce in just about any industry or niche you could care to name.

You can be sure that, whatever it is you do, there are other companies and individuals offering a similar service. You can also be sure that those companies and individuals will be willing to make ambitious promises and to put themselves out there in a confident and bold manner.

In order to compete, it’s necessary that you are willing and able to make ambitious promises of your own – and to then meet those promises, too.

 

• Because customers and clients want to be persuaded, by and large

 

It’s a nice idea that your product or service may be so innately brilliant that anyone who becomes aware of it will automatically be compelled to sign up.

In reality, though, customers and clients not only expect to be persuaded before making a consumer purchase – but, by and large, they actually want to be persuaded.

For many people, the quality of a company’s marketing materials is a way of gauging their overall professionalism, trustworthiness, and potential.

If you don’t market at all, it’s likely that many people who might otherwise have been interested will assume there’s something wrong with your business – and will then avoid you, accordingly.