Marketing is About Teaching

I pulled this quote from a May 14th article by Lisa Barone.
"Although American small businesses are admired for their ingenuity and aggressiveness, this is another area where they struggle, earning the equivalent of a ‘C-‘ in the Marketing and Innovation sub-index. Small businesses are not as successful as they would like to be in effectively marketing themselves to grow their business beyond their current size."
I have noticed that while small business owners have a passion for their specific hobby, skill or talent, the Marketing Plan seems to be an annoying afterthought....especially when we are not generating any revenue.
So, when I read the article that I mentioned above, I did some more research on the extent Small Business utilizes the Internet as a mass media outlet.Only 12 percent of small business take advantage of the ridiculously low cost of marketing their business online. Or, 87 percent of small business, many in perhaps in your industry, are paying for "Old School" marketing that is becoming increasingly annoying compared to today's social media platform on the Internet.
I see a huge opportunity, for that 12 percent to build a following by teaching not selling. You have a great ultra low cost mechanism to differentiate yourself from your competition which will give you an incredible market advantage. Talking directly with your niche market group builds trust and promotes you as an authority figure within your industry.
Remember people usually buy or make a commitment not because of a product or company, but from the relationship that was established. When you are willing to do what 87 percent of small business is not, and you teach (not sell) the value of your product or service, you will secure yourself as an expert in your field enjoy a long term marketing plan that will produce consistent results.