I speak to thousands of small business owners a year, and this type of question comes up a lot. The wording may change, of course. Sometimes people ask about the ROI of a specific marketing activity or campaign. Sometimes they ask the quickest way to see success in marketing. However the question is phrased, the essence of it remains the same. How long does it take to market a business? Let me give you an honest answer here.
And if you’re asking this question, you’re not going to like my answer.
You will probably be marketing your business as long as you are in business.
Remember that generating sales is all about creating brand awareness and adding leads in your pipeline. Those leads only get there if you are marketing in some way. There are a lot of ways to do it (check out this free eBook for 10 different ways to market your business on a budget!), but marketing is all about sharing the message of your business and what you do so people know about it.
You will probably be #marketing your #business as long as you are in business. #smallbusiness #smallbiz #smb Share on XOf all of the business owners I have ever met, I can think of only one person who didn’t need to market anymore. She is a massage therapist. She works alone and doesn’t want to expand her team. She books out every session each week. She has enough word of mouth happening where she still has a pipeline of potential new clients. She has no desire to create passive income for business. Her business is good as it is and she doesn’t feel any need to grow it or the money she makes from it.
She’s the only person I’ve ever met in this situation. I continue to look for other examples, and I’m interested to hear from others who feel the same way. But most of us are looking to continue expanding or earning more. Marketing is what we do to allow the business to grow, expand, or become more stable.
When you see that Fortune 500 companies are still marketing and advertising, you know that marketing comes with the territory of being in business!
What I think is so interesting is WHY people ask this question at all. I’ve never heard anyone ask how long they will need to do bookkeeping for their business. It seems like people just understand that getting your books in order is something that needs to be done every month to keep your business healthy and organized. It’s the same with taking inventory, cleaning your shop, having team meetings. I could list dozens of examples. These are things that have to be done daily, weekly, monthly…as long as you’re in business.
I personally would say that I spend at least 10-20 hours per week on average doing things that could be considered marketing for my business. It could be more if I am doing a specific campaign or project. And that doesn’t count the time of the work I delegate. I have had people ask me what the ROI of a consulting session, the ROI of a Facebook post, the ROI even of a campaign would be, and it is an immediate red flag to me. Any one thing you can do for marketing by itself isn’t enough. It is the cumulative effect of marketing over time that creates strength in your sales process.
It is the cumulative effect of #marketing over time that creates strength in your #sales process. #business #smallbiz #smb Share on XUnfortunately, it’s unrealistic to think that one little thing you can do for marketing will lead to overnight success and render further marketing unnecessary. In fact, even if you could wave a magic wand one time and have everyone know about your business, your competitors will continue marketing long after you are done and divert that traffic.
I don’t say this to discourage you. I don’t say this to alarm you. I don’t say this to make you want to give up. I say this because I want you to have a realistic understanding of what marketing is. It is how you get in front of leads to enlighten them about your business and help them discover if they have a need for what you offer. You are helping people by introducing them to what you do (if they are the right people), so marketing is actually a good thing for everyone involved in that equation.
If you were already feeling discouraged because you have been in business for a certain amount of time and feel like you haven’t figured out the secret yet to getting all the customers you need…I hope this ENCOURAGES you. By continuing to look for new ways to showcase your brand and get in front of your audience, you are doing it RIGHT. Don’t be ashamed if you weren’t an overnight success. Be proud that you are creating something durable and long-term.
Marketing at its best involves consistent, repeated action. Marketing involves regularly communicating your values and your value. And as you continue to showcase what you offer, you give your ideal customers a chance to realize that you’re out there and ready for them when they’re ready for you.
Marketing involves regularly communicating your values and your value. #business #smallbusiness #smallbiz #smb #entrepreneur Share on XI encourage you to remember that marketing is a facet of your business that you will continue to do daily, weekly, monthly, yearly. So, the real question to ask is how you are going to be able to maintain that consistency over time in a way that will be sustainable for you and your business. How can you be consistent within budget without burning out?
I believe that “how long does it take to market a business?” is a trick question. As long as you want customers is as long as you should be marketing!