The theme of the week is patience, and it is a virtue that will benefit you in small business marketing.

Have you been doing everything you can think of in small business marketing?  Have you pumped in money, time, energy into marketing consistently over the years?  Have you engaged in as many one-on-one conversations as you can showing enthusiasm about your business?  Have you tried to cultivate word-of-mouth marketing through your current customers?  Have you been doing all of these things for years and find that you STILL have to do them?

You are not alone.  If cultivating a loyal, committed customer base were easy, everyone would have one.

Building a brand is not a one-time act.  It is the sum of all the marketing you do for your business, all the interactions with your customers and leads, day in and day out.  The sooner you realize this, the sooner you can plan for the long game rather than be disappointed by it.

Building a brand is not a one-time act. #marketing #smallbiz #smb #smallbusiness #business Share on X

The truth is that the time it takes to build a committed following is NOT a failure, but a success.  Many businesses go under before they even get to the one year mark, let alone multiple years.  You are still here, you are still serving, and you are still spreading your message.  And it is best to acknowledge that – as long as you are in business – you will need to represent and talk about your brand.

As long as you are in #business, you will need to represent and talk about your brand. #smb Share on X

There is ALWAYS more growth possible.  Now, it is true that some people hit the goals they wanted to reach in their business.  Perhaps they want no employees and want to fill customer slots in their week and then go live their lives without thinking about hiring, passive income, or legacy-building.  If you have reached that wonderful place of work-life balance and achieved goals, congratulations!  But, remember that no matter where you are in your business, it is always possible to grow.  This is why you see all those commercials for million and billion dollar companies.  They are still thinking about their own marketing.

Marketing means committing to grow, and this process may not ever stop for you.  So, if you are STILL marketing your business, don’t be frustrated.  Don’t be disappointed.  Be proud.

And one of the things that can help inject patience into your marketing is creating a marketing funnel that documents your strategy and the steps you guide your leads through to nurture them. Having a solid marketing funnel will allow you to convert more sales and feel more confident. If you want to know more about building a marketing funnel for your business, check out my Marketing Funnel Worksheet.