Are you risking Marketing Malpractice?
Ok, so technically there is no LEGAL version of Marketing Malpractice like there is for doctors, lawyers, accountants and other licensed professions. And maybe that's why there are service providers all over the field failing to meet an "acceptable standard of care".
But if you are a marketing "expert" who is selling "solutions" associated with the trust that comes with your specialized expertise, then you DO have a responsibility to the client. And while many marketers won't guarantee their work (to be fair, there is a lot of experimentation involved to get stuff right), that doesn't mean they can't do their due diligence in ensuring their efforts will make a positive impact.
But—then again—if companies aren't requiring it, then a lot of people won't bother.
And a LOT of companies aren't requiring it.
Because they don't know what it's SUPPOSED to do for them.
So this article goes out to all the Marketers out there who WANT to demonstrate not just an acceptable, but an outstanding standard of care for their clients.
And it starts with what the clients need to know about Marketing SO THAT they can understand what marketing is REALLY here to deliver. So, let's go there.
Framing YOUR Acceptable Standard of Care in Marketing
Since the industry isn't licensed, there isn't one central standard of care that we will be referencing as marketing professionals. Therefore, it's important to be clear with a client on what yours IS.
And in order to be clear with a client, you need to be clear with yourself first.
That is..what would you NOT let people do, in order to keep them safe?
Now, most people might limit this to a "scoping" activity; a definition of the deliverables, what's NOT included, timelines, costs, approval processes, etc. But those are all PROCESS related activities, and not really connected to the standard of care.
So, let's go a layer DEEPER.
What do you want to PROMISE to your clients?
Promising Results
Now, as we mentioned above, we likely aren't guaranteeing results, which is fine. But what CAN you guarantee?
Movement towards a goal? Learnings? Connections? Conversations?
This works best when the promises aren't outside of what you would deliver in your own good conscience. After all, if you're trying to hold down someone else's promises, that can be SUPER difficult, and not end well for you OR the client.
Let's take my Brand Philosophy Extraction package as an example. In that exercise, I promise that your unique Brand Philosophy WILL be extracted, given that you participate fully in the process. The price is based on the value of that activity being completed, and in what that clarity will allow. I don't promise a timeline (although we make a goal). I don't promise a specific number of calls (although we start with an expectation). Because the if the promise is EXTRACTION, then the deliverable it EXTRACTION.
And if the client doesn't understand that clearly, then you aren't aligned on the results OR the process to get to them. And it's back to the drawing board.
Promising an Experience
This is something that most standards of care actually miss, but can be SUPER powerful in markting in particular. Why?
Because most people who are hiring a Marketer get stressed out by thinking about marketing.
But if you can promise to make Marketing feel less stressful and more fun? There's a lot of power in that. And a lot of competitive advantage.
See, many marketing freelancers are tactic specific. They're super good at email marketing, or podcasting, or SEO. AND...they often take the task right out of the hands of the client in order to remove the stress.
But that doesn't actually create an experience.
It creates an EXPECTATION.
An expectation that the service provider will handle everything so the client doesn't have to think about it.
And then if the client DOES need to think about it?
Breaking the expectation.
And—in so doing—breaking the promise.
But if you can make marketing FUN for your clients? And change their perspective of what marketing IS? That opens the door to a collaboration. And collaborations in marketing—between two people who WANT to collaborate together—are almost unstoppable.
Promising Partnership
This—I believe—is the most helpful promise a Marketer can make.
Because, at the end of the day, OUR knowledge of marketing, combined with the CLIENT'S knowledge of their business and where they are going, is what creates the most impactful marketing plan.
And any promises made in this arena also lead to another promise...
A promise by the CLIENT that they will participate.
And that participation?
It leads to them investing in the plan at a different level.
Making YOUR Promise
So, based on the possible promises above, what would YOU promise to your clients?
What do you believe in strongly enough to ensure that every client gets?
I promise that I will ask you questions no one else has asked you, to get you to the answers that no one else has been able to get you to.
I promise that I will KEEP asking you questions until we get to the core of your uniqueness.
I promise that I will NOT sit idly by while you waste your time on marketing efforts that are NOT contributing to your bottom line.
And I promise that—by the time we are "done"—you will have a marketing plan that you LOVE; IF you stick in long enough to do the real work.
That's my standard of care. And I stand for it with every interaction (not just with clients).
So, I ask again...what's YOURS?
The Bottom Line
Since Marketing isn't a licensed profession, liability doesn't technically fall under "malpractice". But that doesn't mean you can't be found liable under negligence, breach of contract, or have other regulatory issues (like privacy laws) come back to bite you.
The best way to prevent a client experiencing you as negligent?
To make sure THEY understand what negligence looks like in marketing.
And how you stand AGAINST that.
Again, since there's no central definition of negligence in marketing, we COULD leave it up to interpretation. But, since everyone's interpretation is different, that's really not a safe path to tread. Sure, you might not get sued, but it's going to hirt your reputation all the same.
And if a Marketer can't build their own reputation, why would a client believe they could build theirs?
Oh yeah, they won't.
So, to all my fellow Marketers out there. You can continue to be "one of many" who does a marketing task. OR...
You could take a stand for what your clients—and yes, that includes INTERNAL clients—deserve.
Because, I'll be honest, I don't think enough of us are standing up for what's right in this industry. And it's time we stand together AGAINST those that have convinced businesses for years that "just doing marketing" is what matters.
We KNOW that marketing can be a revenue driver.
So, let's stand for it.
Who's with me?
