Marketing Has Become Too Complicated—Here’s What Small Businesses Are Missing | Leslie A.M. Smith

Marketing has changed dramatically since Leslie A.M. Smith began working in the field in 1994. But according to Leslie, the fundamental concepts haven’t changed.In this conversation, the seasoned marketing and public relations consultant explains why the digital world has made promotion increasingly complicated for small businesses—and why going back to the fundamentals may be more effective than chasing every new platform or tactic.We explore the four P’s of marketing: product, price, place, and promotion, why businesses often promote before getting the foundation right, and why “the product will sell itself” is one of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make.Leslie also discusses passion projects, hyper-local marketing, repetition in advertising, market saturation, starting too big, researching your competition, and the importance of having a genuine marketing plan rather than simply listing social media platforms.She also explains the story behind her guidebook, Laws of Promotion, which adapts Newton’s laws of motion into practical marketing principles.And her final food for thought is simple:Review how much time you spend on marketing. You may be doing too much.Learn more about Leslie’s work: Escape Marketing Mania⁠Find Laws of Promotion by Leslie A.M. Smith on Amazon in Kindle and print editions.Explore more from Thought Atlas: Thought Atlas on Podmatch⁠