Han Ngo

Marketing is not a department ¹

Do you have a marketing department? If not, good. If you do, don’t think these are the only people responsible for marketing. Accounting is a department. Marketing isn’t. Marketing is something everyone in your company is doing 24/7/365.

Just as you cannot not communicate, you cannot not market:

• Every time you answer the phone, it’s marketing.
• Every time you send an e-mail, it’s marketing.
• Every time someone uses your product, it’s marketing.
• Every word you write on your Web site is marketing.
• If you build software, every error message is marketing.
• If you’re in the restaurant business, the after-dinner mint is marketing.
• If you’re in the retail business, the checkout counter is marketing.
• If you’re in a service business, your invoice is marketing.

Recognize that all of these little things are more important than choosing which piece of swag to throw into a conference goodie bag. Marketing isn’t just a few individual events. It’s the sum total of everything you do.