The Top 5 Excuses Used to Avoid Marketing

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‘It’s not the best product that wins but the best-known one that wins,’ Jaiden Vu, Founder and CEO of Vantura Cosmetics

All companies need marketing to survive. Fact.

Essentially, marketing is the art of reach and persuasion. Among other things, marketing creates a need that can only be relieved through purchasing what you’re selling, and it convinces people to choose what you’re selling over that of your competition.

And yet we hear businesspeople coming up with reasons why they can’t, or don’t market themselves properly, day in, day out.

 

The Top 5 Excuses Used to Avoid Marketing (and why you really need to do it)

Excuse 1

Marketing

Business is going pretty well, I can pull that advertising budget for a few months to buy that thingamajig I really, really need for the office.

Yes, you can.

But your competition will still be aggressively marketing themselves to all those lovely, potential customers. What happens when you stop? Right, one less business for your competition to worry about, more juicy leads for them to close!

 

Excuse 2

Marketing

My customers love us, they’re loyal. It’ll be okay if we dial down the marketing for a bit.

No, it won’t.

Unless you maintain your customer relationships and keep reminding them how relevant you are you’ll become just another faceless supplier. Then along comes Johnny NewBoy with his flashy advertising and ethically compelling content and your customers are now his customers.

 

Excuse 3

Marketing

Business is tight, we haven’t got the cash to allocate to marketing. It’s just not a priority right now.

WELL IT SHOULD BE!

You might have the best product/service/hotel/5 legged pony stables in the world, but if no-one knows about you it’s not worth a hill of beans.

 

Excuse 4 

Marketing

We’re a small business, marketing’s for big companies.

Right.

And how do you think the big companies got to be big companies? (clue – It wasn’t magic fairy dust!)

 

Excuse 5

Marketing

I haven’t got time to write that piece of content/post to social media/stuff these bleeding envelopes/send those emails.

That’s a shame.

 Because your competition has and it’ll be their brand now popping up on everyone’s mobile, through their door or into their inbox, not yours. (you can always pay someone to do this for you, make sure you do your research first though).

 

Stop thinking about your marketing budget as an expense and start thinking about it as an investment.

Laura Lake recommends businesses invest 20% of their resources into marketing. This is 20% of your marketing budget as well as your time.

And if you’re shaking your head and saying ‘I don’t need a marketing budget’ now is the time to get help.

Because if you haven’t got a marketing budget you probably haven’t got a marketing plan. And if you haven’t got a plan how are you going to grow your business?*

 

Here are some ways you can market your business on a limited budget

 

  • Word of mouth
  • An elevator pitch
  • Networking
  • Online advertising
  • Social media
  • TV & Radio
  • Newspaper
  • Hosting charity/community events*
  • Trade shows*
  • A professionally designed and built website*
  • Business cards*
  • Flyers*
  • Direct mail*

 

* – we can help with all of these and lots more! – so if you are looking for an agency you can trust to help with all your marketing needs, then speak to the Team here at Design Image