We all know that Marketing is evolving, right? The Marketing world is prone to change, and it’s worth noting by keeping loose change — 1, 2 and 5 cent coins —around you as a constant reminder.But even with all these changes, the truth is marketing is not anything to freak out over. Oh, sure, there’s new tactics out every minute, but really, when it comes down to marketing, there are only about four things that matter—that your organisation must get right. If you get these right and keep them as the foundation for every business and marketing decision you make, the scale will tip in your favour. On the other hand, ignore these simple marketing truths and you’ll make marketing and growing your Cause always feel like a hard, confusing struggle.But it’s not worrying us here at Cause & Effective, and it doesn’t need to worry you either. Here’s what you need to know about marketing:#1: No one talks about average or mediocre To grow any organisation in a noisy world where the intended audience is hit with spam, pop-up ads, a hundred free to air and pay TV channels, blinking Web banners, changing ads on the perimeter fences of football stadiums and dozens of other interruptions—you must get people talking. And you guessed it. No one talks about the average or mediocre service or product offering. They talk about the remarkable (worth making a remark about) ones.

This is how referrals are created, PR opportunities come calling, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) happens and links to your website happen. Let me ask you this – when’s the last time you wrote a review about a perfectly satisfying experience?

You have to do something that surprises, and wows us, or do something that clearly exceeds our expectation in ways that make us turn to social media to share our story.

I know organisations get this, but I keep seeing so few stepping up and turning heads. You don’t have to innovate an entire industry, just do something that’s not so status quo, normal, average, or mediocre.

#2. People need clarity to take action not more information

More and more consumers have shut off the traditional world of marketing. They own devices to skip TV ads, ignore magazine ads, and now have become so adept at online “surfing” that they can take in online information without a care for banners or buttons (making them irrelevant).

Smart organisations understand that traditional marketing is becoming less and less effective by the minute, and that there has to be a better way.

Enter content marketing.

But with all the interest and hoopla about content marketing, unfortunately it’s being interpreted as “write more content.”  As mentioned above, “we live in a noisy world” and people are drowning in it. The winner (I believe) is the one that makes sense of it. Yes, clarity is a competitive advantage.

Insight is more important than information. In fact, “If you have foresight, you’re blessed. If you have insight you’re blessed twice.” Tell us WHY all this information matters. Tell us WHAT information is the correct information. Tell us “Why we don’t need to freak out over marketing.”

Make meaning of it all and people will listen.

#3. Everyone’s voice is bigger, so no BS

I realize some are offended by that statement, but it’s really the right term. It’s the term people use to describe something that’s deceiving, misleading, disingenuous or false. Don’t be in the business of “one-off” transactions. Usually these transactions are described by those characteristics above. When you engage in “win-lose” relationships today, you’re in for a rude awaking.

Every consumer now has a bigger voice online, and that voice is part of your brand today and many have something to say. We’ve all got to work at less BS. That’s all there is to it.

#4. Trust is always at the heart of every transaction

Trust is the single most important ingredient in building a well supported Cause. It’s the hardest to gain and the easiest to lose and it’s all that matters in the long run.

Now there’s a really big gap between someone being aware of you (which is really hard) and someone trusting you, enough to invest in you or support you.

Oh, and because trust is at the heart of each and every transaction, know that it’s something you must earn over and over and over again. Trust is always on trial.

Question: What do you think? 

About Patrick – Patrick McFadden is Cause & Effective’s marketing advisor and the author of the Indispensable Marketing Blog. You can also follow him on Twitter.