Have you stopped to think about how you feel about marketing? How you feel about marketing colors how you think about marketing. Does it make you smile or roll your eyes – even just a bit? We all have at least one or two marketing campaigns that we can recite from memory either because it struck a chord and we enjoyed it or the opposite happened.
We all have a reaction to marketing whether we would like to or not. As a business founder and owner, I know that I need to market my business but I also need dig a little deeper, to understand how I feel about marketing.
WHY, you may ask. Well, as with most things, my enjoyment of the experience is at least somewhat dictated by my perspective going into it.
Some businesses view marketing as a necessary but unwelcome expense, more an aggravation than an opportunity. When marketing is viewed as an aggravation, it is almost impossible to take it seriously. Staff gets frustrated. Initiatives lack participation and therefore success. Every silo works independently rather than building cohesive, effective strategy.
But, oh! When viewed as a growth opportunity and a building block for business, marketing can be a game changer! At no time in history is this more evident than in the pandemic season. Companies have failed and flourished at an alarming rate. The loud marketing cries of “still open for business” or “now open for business” are literally the voices that lead to survival.
I’d encourage you to view your marketing activity, when done well, as an investment in your future deal flow and future business. If that’s a stretch for you, you can settle for it being an annual fee to be in business in the first place. People simply cannot do business with you if they do not know you and cannot find you.
Understanding your own perspective, and how your bias and preconceived notions impact this important aspect of business, helps you navigate your future. Are you going to be controlled by bias, or are you going to forge ahead?
Marketing efforts build credibility and industry presence.
I encourage you to continue educating yourself and those around you about marketing and its benefits. See if you can turn those eye rolls into smiles. Find the marketing advocate at your place of business and brainstorm. And if you find that you have the interest but not the time to execute your marketing plan, let us know – we may just be able to help!
