3 Rules That Will Never Change in Marketing

I want you to stop freaking out about your digital marketing. I get it though, it's a complicated world, at least it seems like it is. Do any of these sound familiar?

"Is Facebook marketing even worth spending my time anymore?"

"People say the younger generation isn't even on Facebook or Instagram, should I look into Snapchat?"

"What the heck are these "stories" things? Do we need to be doing those?"

"Should we start a podcast?"

"I feel so behind already, maybe I shouldn't worry about social media at this point."

"How much should I be spending on social media ads?"

"I keep hearing good things about Instagram, should we look into that?"

"Is live video even a thing anymore?"

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The list goes on. Want to know something? It's never going to stop.

Digital marketing will always be evolving, changing, and confusing the heck out of us all.

You should never stop exploring ideas and you should always make an effort to stay up to date with trends. Not because you want to keep up with the marketing Jones' but because there are always new tools and new opportunities for reaching your audience.

This post isn't about helping you decide which platforms or which tactics to choose.

This post is about what WON'T change in digital marketing.

Regardless of the budget you have, the platforms you're on, or the business you're in, there are three foundational elements required for any marketer to be successful. These were true yesterday, they are true today, and they will be true tomorrow.

1. Be helpful - The "business you" knows things. Whether it's how to get the hair out of the rotating brushes on a vacuum or that the interior wall trend is about to shift from gray tones to beiges and creams. Either way, make sure you're sharing your knowledge and educating all of the time. At least 80% of your content should do this.
2. Be freaking authentic - You're smart. You can smell a stinky sales pitch from a mile away, can't you? You can tell when someone is blowing smoke up your butt or being "fake." So can just about everyone else. Don't try to be like other people you view as successful. Keep it simple - be you, be transparent, and be honest... but make sure you care. How can you show you care? See number one above.
3. Listen - When you get stuck in how to do number one above, it's probably because you're not listening enough. Customers call and ask questions, they have challenges, they give you feedback. Pay attention. Take their questions and challenges and use those as ideas for how you can be helpful. Take their feedback and apply it. The good, the bad, and the ugly all provide value.

These rules applied even before digital marketing came into play. The interactions we have with customers have not changed - they have just spread out because we now have interactions online in addition to all of the interactions we have in person.

Digital marketing will change, but these rules will not. Regardless of the platform or formats you choose, the rules still apply.

Be helpful, be authentic, and listen! You won't go wrong.