Welcome back to Lending Leadership: The Creative Brief—the podcast where we break down the art and science of mortgage marketing and leadership.

Today, we dove straight into one of the fundamental questions every loan officer and marketing professional faces: what really is marketing, and what is it not? With both of us—Rachael Tresch and Corrine Bibb—on the mics this week, we brought the full energy of our marketing circus to the conversation, painting a vivid picture about how all the moving parts of marketing, from advertising to PR to sales, fit together into a cohesive strategy.

To kick things off, we set the scene with our “circus analogy.” We walk you through the difference between advertising, promotion, publicity, public relations, sales, and how it all rolls up into marketing. Throughout the episode, we explore why so many people stop at just promoting (walking the elephant through town) and overlook the full, strategic process of marketing that can drive real business results.

We dig into why layering is key to a successful marketing plan, examine why consistency and business planning are so crucial, and share ideas for reaching your desired audience without overwhelming them—or yourself. As always, our discussion is filled with practical steps, candid reflections, and a little encouragement to keep things simple and strategic—no need to juggle it all at once.

We round out the episode with a challenge: take a hard look at your own marketing strengths and gaps (SWOT time!), and really define who your target client is. And as always, we invite you to share what you’re learning, what works for you, and where you might be stuck—after all, we’re all in this circus together.

Key takeaways:

Marketing Is the Whole Circus, Not Just the Elephant: Marketing isn’t just one action like a flyer or a single event—it’s the strategic plan that brings together advertising, promotion, publicity, public relations, and sales. Only by combining these can you truly create impact.

Consistency and Planning Trump “Spray and Pray”: Effective marketing isn’t about doing everything at once or randomly trying tactics. It’s about consistent, strategic actions over time. We encourage planning well ahead—sometimes even pushing a great idea out a month or two—to execute each piece thoughtfully.

Know Your Audience and How They Absorb Information: People internalize messages in different ways and at different times. Hitting your audience with consistent messaging across multiple channels—and repeating it often—is essential, as is tailoring your approach for different “learning styles.”

Layering Beats Overwhelm: No one expects you to master every aspect of marketing overnight. Start with a plan, then build layers—adding new tactics and tools as you go. Give yourself grace, avoid burnout, and learn which areas you naturally thrive in (and where you shy away).

Do a Personal SWOT & Define Your “Who”: Take stock of your own strengths and challenges when it comes to the components of marketing. Analyze your database and customer trends to define your avatar and target audience. The simplest strategies, grounded in clarity about your goals and your audience, are often the best.

We’d love to hear your stories, your ideas, and how you define “marketing” in your own practice—reach out and let us know! Don’t forget to like, comment, and share the show, and remember: we’re all in this circus together, so let’s make our acts the best they can be. See you next time!

Rach & Rinn

Timestamps:
00:00 "Need for Unified Marketing Strategy"

05:07 Tailored Engagement Strategies

07:14 "Comprehensive and Consistent Marketing Strategy"

10:33 Strategic Growth Through Gradual Improvement

14:50 Analyze Your Customer Trends

17:05 "Together in the Circus"