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Great marketing is a constant work in progress. Sometimes we get so caught up in our daily routines that we forget to step back and look at the bigger picture.

We rounded up 10 of our favorite marketing quotes that help us re-focus.

#1: On innovation

"Marketing's job is never done. It's about perpetual motion. We must continue to innovate every day." Beth Comstock, author, former vice chair of General Electric

Why We Like It: Continuing to do the same thing day-in and day-out is not only stale for us, but also our audiences. We must not hesitate to try new things to avoid getting stuck in a rut.

#2: On branding

“Your brand is not what you sell.”

John Iwata, senior vice president of marketing and communications at IBM

Why We Like It: Conflating your brand with your product is a more common mistake than you might think. A brand is also who you are as a company and what you stand for.

#3: On social media

“Social media is about the people. Not about your business. Provide for the people and the people will provide for you.”

Matt Goulart, founder and digital marketing executive of Ignite Digital Canada

Why We Like It: Sometimes we get so excited about pushing out messaging about our company and our products that we forget to keep social media a two-way conversation. Nobody likes a narcissist, especially on social media. 

#4: On going viral

“Going viral is not an outcome; it’s a happening. Sometimes it happens; sometimes it doesn’t. Just remember, fans are vanity and sales are sanity.”

Lori Taylor, founder and executive editor of Social Caffeine

Why We Like It: As a digital advertising provider, we are often asked how to create content that goes viral. There’s no magic formula. What’s the ROI on a viral video, anyway?

#5: On planning

 “A year from now, you’ll wish you’d have started today.”

Karen Lamb, author

Why We Like It: Never underestimate the value of planning!

#6: On specialization

"Increasingly, the mass marketing is turning into a mass of niches."

Chris Anderson, author

Why We Like It: Mass appeal is a massive waste of time. The best approach is to segment your audience and craft specific messages to your niche. The days of one-size-fits-all are over.

#7: On messaging

"Focus on the core problem your business solves and put out lots of content and enthusiasm, and ideas about how to solve that problem."

Laura Fitton, founder of one-forty.com

Why We Like It: Coming up with content that isn’t strictly selling can be challenging. When stuck on an idea, start here and the ideas will flow.

#8: On failure

“If plan ‘A’ fails – remember you have 25 letters left.”

Chris Guillebeauof, author

Why We Like It: Failure doesn’t mean the end. It’s just one confirmed method that doesn’t work. Move on to another idea.

#9: On standing out

 “When you can do a common thing in an uncommon way; you will command the attention of the world.”

George Washington Carver, American botanist and inventor

Why We Like It: Creativity is integral to great marketing.

#10: On data

“Just because you can measure everything doesn’t mean that you should.”

W. Edward Deming, author, management consultant

Why We Like It: While it’s important to collect data about your marketing efforts, you could drown in too much information. Carefully consider which data points are the most valuable and leave the rest.