Why do you need marketing?
As a Marketing Consultant, I often ask questions and then do a lot of listening.
One of my initial questions when I first start working with a small business is: Why do you need marketing?
It's not a trick question designed to make anyone uncomfortable; rather, it's meant to spark reflection and generate meaningful discussion about what marketing means to you, what you hope to achieve for your small business, and why it matters.
What’s your problem?
Another question I ask is: What problem are you trying to solve?
I frequently work with business owners who reach out because they have hit a wall and want to overcome it.
Not everyone has a clear answer. They may sense that something is amiss but struggle to connect their existing marketing activities with the underlying problem. They don’t fully grasp the role Marketing plays or how their marketing approach to date could be their problem…
The importance of marketing for small businesses
There are multiple reasons why a small business needs marketing. Marketing strategies serve several purposes. They:
generate new business
retain business
engage with suppliers
attract new talent to the team
raise staff profiles
disseminate expertise
showcase clients…
Understanding the link
These reasons stem back to what you want your business to achieve, from your mission and vision to your objectives and bottom line. They form the foundation of your marketing needs, driving the various layers of your marketing strategy.
Recognising problems and finding the solutions
If you’re struggling to attract or retain the right customers, marketing is one area to investigate. The offer, pricing, customer experience and wider circumstances may also play a part. Understanding the problem helps you decide what marketing can realistically contribute.
Start with what the business needs
More enquiries aren’t always the answer. An established business might need a better fit between the work it wants and the enquiries it receives. Another might want existing customers to understand an additional service, or help potential employees see what working there is like.
Try completing this sentence: “Over the next six months, we need marketing to help us…” Then ask:
Who needs to understand something or act differently?
What do they need to know, and what might be stopping them?
What would we see happening if the marketing was helping?
For example, if the aim is to attract more suitable enquiries, look at the fit of those enquiries as well as the total number. If the aim is to explain another service to existing clients, pay attention to relevant conversations and uptake.
That gives you a purpose to work from when choosing activity. If there are too many questions competing for attention, start with taking the complexity out of your marketing.
Over to you - what would your answers be?