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Why Your Business Needs Effective Marketing

They want you out of business. Believe it or not, everyone doesn’t want to see you show up for work tomorrow. There are people who have agendas they want you to follow. They aren’t interested in your business success unless it coincides with their plans. There are companies and other business people who not only want to see you fail, but they are welcoming your failure. The government isn’t helping you. The government is increasing your taxes, and finding new ways of getting money from you. As a business person in today’s world, you have to grow your business’ customer base constantly, finding new customers and clients…or you’re done! That’s what effective marketing does for you. You have to keep your name in front of your prospective customers constantly to ensure you grow your customer base, and your business.

 How (a Successful) Business Works

The purpose of a business is to make money, right? Yes, and no. If the purpose of a business is to make money, where do you get this money? The bank? Not a chance. Investors? No. The government? Definitely not. The money comes from your customers. They pay you for your product or service, and the money left over after paying your costs is called profit. The business owner gets to keep that, reinvest it in his business, pay bills, go on vacation, whatever she wants.  This may sound like common sense, but it’s not. According to the late business management authority Peter Drucker “the purpose of a business is to create a customer.” This is perhaps one of the wisest and truest principles of business management, and one of the most overlooked. So how does a business get new customers? The business owner starts to tell people about what you do and help solve a problem for them. Marketing efforts put the business name, product or service in front of people. We (as business people) and our prospective customers (prospects) mutually determine if there is a good fit for our products or services and our prospects. A transaction takes place, and we all live happily ever after (or so it may seem).

What is in a Successful Marketing Mix?

Social media, blogging, Search Engine Optimization of a business web site (SEO), and web presence are great ways to start marketing activities. They are extremely inexpensive and require little upkeep (until something changes at the business). Business cards are an essential, and print advertising is a little more expensive and a little more effective. Pay-per-click advertising, like Google AdWords and Bing/Yahoo ad services, is more expensive, but proven ways to generate buzz. What about press releases? Press releases are how businesses, government offices and charitable organizations maintain their relationship with the general public. This is an often overlooked facet of the marketing puzzle that can play a big difference in the success of a business’ marketing campaign.

Sales and Marketing Collateral for Every Occasion

Sales and marketing collateral are the brochures, sales letters, post cards, direct mail packages, etc. that keep your name in front of your prospective customers. It is these items that sell your products or services to your customers when you aren’t there. Stay in business! Get your next project working! Contact me for a free proposal to create the collateral around your next marketing project or campaign!

“Fred” Doesn’t Believe in Marketing

Meet “Fred.”  “Fred” isn’t his real name.  He asked us to keep it anonymous.  That’s why “Fred” has a paper bag over his head.  “Fred” is angry.  “Fred” is SO angry, he drew a “frowny face” on his paper bag.  “Fred” can’t take “Mrs. Fred” on vacation this year because he had to work.  He had to work because nothing seems to be working out for “Fred’s” business.  He just can’t meet his sales goals, and thus his income goals, and he can’t figure out why.  He is great with his current customers, and they all seem to like him. “Fred” always goes the extra mile constantly letting his customers know how special they are, but eventually they stop doing business with him.  Sometimes, “Fred” gets so mad that he takes it out on his employees.  He just can’t seem to figure it out though.  Sometimes, an advertising account executive or a marketing consultant  calls on “Fred’s” business.  “Fred” is smarter than all those sales-type marketing people.  He sends them away every time they call on his business because he’s the best at what he does, and his work can stand on its own.  Unfortunately, one day “Fred’s” work will stand on its own…all alone.

Don’t Be Like “Fred”

“Fred” isn’t alone.  A lot of business owners don’t believe in marketing either.  Since there is no entrance exam or special licensing to be an entrepreneur (and there shouldn’t be…ever), something is missed in their business education.  A lot of business people get out of the gate running brilliantly.  They get off to a great start relying on family, friends, and neighbors for their customer base.  They make a lot of money early, then their business plateaus, there’s a shift in their market or a key employee leaves.  Suddenly, their monthly revenues start dropping along with cash flow. The beginning of the end of their business has arrived.  And if they don’t change something they have been doing (or start something they haven’t been doing) to find new customers and to keep the customers they have, it will all soon be over for that business.  The next time your customer comes by to see how the business is doing, there will be a “For Lease” sign in the window.

It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way…

Conversely, there are a lot of business people who do believe in marketing.  I like to call those people “successful.”  Successful business people recognize that marketing is a given to succeed in business.  Successful business people understand that they have to find new customers constantly.  Because life changes.  People move, change their lifestyles, and (quite frankly) people die.  The phrase “Fail to Plan” is the same as “Plan to Fail.”  For a business owner not to believe in marketing is like a parachutist who doesn’t believe in gravity.  The very same force that causes a business to thrive can be devastating if it is ignored.  Successful business people also understand that they are not the only ones marketing to their customer base.  Their clients are also marketing to their customer base.  If you fail on your marketing, it allows your competition to persuade your customer to visit them instead of your business.  That’s probably not what you want for your business.

As a professional freelance writer, I can help you stay on top of your marketing game by providing you with great marketing collateral material.  My services include brochures, sales letters, direct mail campaigns, web site content, blogs (like this one), and a lot more!  Contact me today to learn how I can help you stay on top of your game!