For any of online educational or information based business, marketing plays more of a role than any business owner would like to admit.

In some ways, it is the business. How you talk about, frame, and position your product has an enormous impact on the perceived value.
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​Beyond a pure utilitarian (think wifi or electric) product, perception is almost as important as content.

In fact, value becomes a subjective measure that can change wildly from customer to customer based on how certain aspects are framed.

The exact same product positioned in two different ways can completely change the user's expectation and experience.

This means those that make bolder claims have a higher perceived value to the customer, at least initially.

Because there is more implied potential value, whether the claims are true or not.

So it becomes even more of a challenge for those who are aiming to market in an honest way, as they cannot create the same hype around a product that someone willing to lie can.

This is why marketing is becoming more important than ever for the honest and well-intentioned entrepreneur.

It's why we need to move beyond surface level tactics that are so common.

And it's why we can't simply ignore marketing naively thinking "if we build it they will come."

There's too much competition out there, and likely it's already been built.

What sets you apart from a competitor are the aspects of your service or program that are uniquely you, and you have to communicate this through intentional marketing efforts.