What do you think of when you hear the word “marketing?” If you’re like most people, you think of advertising tactics (TV, direct mail, newspaper advertising, etc.).

But in reality, advertising is only one facet of marketing. This misunderstanding of the nature of marketing, along with a lack of uniqueness, is one of the two most lethal mistakes made by small and midsize businesses.

In truth, marketing is absolutely anything that affects what customers think about your company or products and their desire to do business with you.

Your advertising is a marketing function, but so is the appearance of your company vehicles, the taste of your food, the attitude of your staff, your return policy, or the comfort of your waiting room. Like it or not, marketing can’t be done in a vacuum—separate from operations and product development. It must be built into the framework of your business.

On Step-3, you define all marketing assets, and redirect those assets toward achieving the same result. You must also clearly define your strategy for building customer loyalty. Click "PLAY” (above) to hear Step-3 of the Marketing Map™ explained.