Marketing for Small Business is an Investment Not an Expense

Marketing for a small business is tough. Competition is getting fiercer and technology is evolving at a dizzying rate. For small business owners on tight budgets, spending money on marketing often  seems to make little financial sense.

In many cases, small business owners believe that they would be better off just trying to make do by themselves. After all, who can afford to spend money on marketing campaigns that could be used to pay bills?

The real truth is that the only way businesses are going to create a steady stream of income is through marketing. Marketing is what brings in new customers and it is what helps you to retain current ones. Marketing is the only way you can get your message out in front of the people you need to buy your products or service. This is true for new and existing customers.

It also is important to understand that marketing is not a one and done proposition. For almost every business – even the largest and most successful companies – marketing is something that will never be “finished.”

Some businesses put off marketing because it seems like something they can wait to invest in. Not true. In fact, the longer you wait to market your business, the longer you will find yourself stuck in a continuing cycle of struggling to make ends meet. That’s because the bills will continue to mount but without customers to pay those bills, you won’t be able to get ahead. Investing in marketing, however, gives you the opportunity to grow your business and increase revenue streams.

For small business owners still on the fence as to whether marketing is something worth investing in, here are some important things to consider:

• Investing in marketing increases brand awareness. If you want to reach new audiences (and if you want to remain in business, you do!), you must market your business.
• Customers and prospects are leery of businesses that don’t market. If a customer hears about your business through word-of-mouth or even drives by your office, they will look for it online. If it’s not there, they will quickly move on to a business that is.
• Marketing drives sales – especially seasonal sales. For example, on Black Friday research shows that online shopping via mobile drives sales. If you don’t have a digital marketing strategy you are missing out on sales. It is that simple.
• Reputations are built online. A strong online presence, including social media, allows you to be responsive and build trust.

Marketing for a small business costs money. There is no way around that fact. However, it does something much more important – it allows you to make money. Marketing is an investment and not an expense. To learn more about how we can help get the most impact from your marketing budget, give us a call at (402) 334-1824 or visit us online at goleads.com.