Calling 'Community' the 'New Marketing' is an offense to our profession

Ok, I know community is the new 🔥hot 🔥 cool thing.

Everyone wants community.

It's the new marketing, apparently.

And I get this. I can see how community can bring so many benefits. Including awareness, leads and sales. Those in who have lived the community life know this. I, for one, built up a community focused business. I did many marketing things that overlapped with community, but never would I call community being marketing.

Community is not rocket science: listen to people, treat them well, develop relationships AND then they will come back and support you (if it aligns with who they are and what they need). This does not mean that community is marketing or sales.

Community is community and if done well, it comes with many benefits.

I don't think any business these days exists in a silo, every department needs to look for ways to support each other and collaborate. I most definitely encourage marketing, growth, and product to work with community. Together is better.

But to call community 'the new marketing' is offensive. If your marketing and growth strategies aren't working anymore go and figure out why instead of jumping on another profession which you don't have enough understanding of.