By Kody Ross
Marketing is a broad topic that often gets misconstrued for other things. Because the marketing industry is ever-changing, it can be hard as a small business owner to figure it out sometimes!
So check out the five Mythbusters below to get squared away on the basics of marketing.
- Marketing and Advertising Are the Same
No. Just, no. Chances are if you say this to someone in either of those professions, they are going to set the record straight quickly! Although they are related, they are not the same. They are very different. Marketing is a never-ending plan to provide products and services to consumers. Marketing also involves creating, designing and pricing the product itself, as well as the strategy to get people to buy it. It’s a constant state of mind.
Advertising is just one of the aspects of marketing. The main focus of advertising is creating and placing ads to spread the word about your product.
- Small Businesses Don’t Need to Waste Money on Marketing
Alright. Now that we know what marketing is let’s talk about another myth. Just because you’re a small business does not mean you are exempt from needing to market your company’s products and services. If you are not marketing-inclined or don’t have the time, you need to hire a marketing person or company.
- Quality Products Will Sell Themselves
I hate to break it to you, but your product is not going to sell itself. Often, your biggest mistake is thinking that it will. How are people going to buy a product if they have no idea it exists? They won’t. With millions of small businesses in the US, you must cut through on messaging to be heard by your potential customers. This doesn’t always mean spending a fortune – it does mean proper planning and execution in all things marketing.
- Marketing Will Provide Fast Results
One of the most common misjudgments is that if you don’t see immediate results from your marketing, then it’s not working, and you don’t need it. This is just flat out wrong. It takes time for these things to work – and that’s okay! You know they say: the best things in life take time, and the same goes for marketing. In general, most new campaign launches need 90 days to get traction, and things like SEO take much longer (but are vital to the long term success of your SMB).
- Having a Website is Good Enough
Wake up, people! A website alone is not going to cut it. You need social media. Your online directories need to be in order. How are your online reviews? Does your budget allow for broadcast or print?
Oh, if only you had a company that could help you figure it out all out. Contact us at tlcarketingconsultants.com today, and we will get you squared away!