When most people hear “marketing,” they picture ads, promotions, and endless noise in their feed. Unfortunately (or fortunately) that’s not what real marketing is. At its core, marketing isn’t about shouting louder. It’s about connection.

I’ve worked with startups, university programs, small businesses, and even my own band. Across all of it, the same pattern shows up: people think they need more “promotion,” when what they actually need is clarity and resonance. Who’s the audience? What do they care about? And how do you show up in a way that feels real to them?

That’s why I’ve often been surprised by which of my songs found traction. It wasn’t always the polished tracks or the ones I thought would “perform.” The songs that connected most were the ones with deep feelings and honesty behind them. People responded to truth, not tactics. That’s marketing in disguise.

For builders, here’s the lesson:

• Marketing is discovery. Start by listening. The best campaigns begin with conversations, not ad buys.
• Marketing is alignment. Every message should reflect who you are and what your audience already cares about.
• Marketing is momentum. Connection builds over time. It’s rhythm, not a one-off stunt.

Think about it this way: ads can grab attention, but only authenticity creates loyalty. If you’re building a business, don’t treat marketing as something you tack on at the end. Treat it as the bridge between what you’ve built and the people it was built for.

Because at the end of the day, marketing isn’t the noise around the product. Marketing is the honesty that makes people believe in it.