Create Value And Build Stronger Relationships Through Marketing
Towards the end of 2016, the RedFork Team developed a document to share with some of the small businesses around a few of our favorite districts of Orlando. The goal was to 1) create awareness of our business in these areas, and 2) to share some helpful information about the benefits of marketing to these small business owners.
As a business, it is one of our priorities to become a resource to any small business seeking help. So instead of keeping this document on paper and only for the businesses in our area, we made it digital!
A link to our free Simple Marketing Rules Every Business Should Follow e-book can be found at the end of this article, but if you’d like a sneak peak with some extra insight, check out the rest of this post.
4 Basic Reasons Your Business Needs Marketing
1. To Inform
The access to the Internet, especially through mobile devices, has shifted all the purchasing power to the consumer. People will look you up on the web as soon as they find something interesting. Even just this past weekend, my bartender told me about a side project he and his wife are developing called, Follow The Sunshine, which is about alternative lifestyles and adventures in a 1975 Coachmen Cadet 20.5-foot travel trailer nicknamed “Sunshine” – that’s interesting!
So remember this – before a person will even think about doing business with you, they’re gonna search you on Google first. Or Bing, if they’re into that kind of thing ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
“Most [companies] don’t fail at building a product, they fail at acquiring customers.”
— Gabriel Weinberg, Founder & CEO of DuckDuckGo
2. To Sell
The bottom line of any business is to make money. This may seem like an obvious statement, but just in case this isn’t common knowledge, I had to say it. Even if you’re a not-for-profit organization, in order for that organization to operate properly, you’re going to need some serious cash to make your mission a success.
I was the Director of Ensembles for a nonprofit youth organization in Orlando for over 5 years, Infinity Percussion, and was the Director of Marketing since it’s foundation in 2006 through 2015. One of the biggest lessons I had to learn was that in order to provide any of the things I wanted to for the members of the ensembles, we needed money. Whether that’s through membership fees, merchandise sales, sponsorships deals, etc. No matter what channel we were focused on, it always required a strong marketing effort.
Looking to sell more? It’s probably not your product or service that needs the attention. Try focusing on your marketing efforts a bit more, as it is an essential channel and an investment to reach your end goal.
3. To Retain
Selling is great. Actually, it’s awesome! One of the best feelings a small business owner will experience is having a person believe enough in your product or service that they want to bring it into their lives by making a purchase.
Do you know what’s an even better feeling? When that customer comes back for ANOTHER purchase. Or even better, when their friends or family make a purchase!
Marketing to create awareness of your brand is incredibly important, but don’t forget that marketing to your existing customer base should be equally important to your marketing strategy.
Keep your existing customers tuned in and coming back for more through social media, video, and blogs. Identify the important things in their life, and create content that they will find interesting, entertaining, and useful!
Great marketing forms a bond between people and your brand. This bond promotes growth tomorrow, next month and for years to come.
“Business has only two functions – marketing and innovation.”
— Peter Drucker, Author/Management Consultant
4. To Grow
Every business plan has a different long-term goal. Some will look to expand from e-commerce to a brick-and-mortar store, others will look to open multiple locations in their city or state, and some may even look to become a worldwide recognized brand.
While each business owner will set a different goal, all business plans will have one core element in common: the desire to grow.
Having more awareness of your brand, increasing your list of active customers, or even gaining more followers on social media all require dedicated marketing strategies. So when you feel like your business is ready for the next step, be sure to implement strong marketing techniques that will assist your journey to success.
Your Turn
Interested in learning more about the benefits of marketing your small business?
Download our FREE e-Book – Simple Marketing Rules Every Business Should Follow
Learn more about creating a healthy marketing mix, and how investing more into your marketing budget will actually help your business spend less money.
Have any other helpful information about the benefits of marketing? Share your insight in the comments below!
Additional Sources
5 Reasons Your Small Business Needs Content Marketing, by Dan Antonelli of Graphic D-Signs, Inc. (Contributor to Entrepreneur)
3 Reasons Your Business Needs a Marketing Agency, by Dan Scalco of Digitalux (Contributor to Inc.)
10 Ways to Market Your Small Business on a Shoestring Budget, by Susan Solovic of Constant Contact