Who needs marketing?
Things are great. I’m busier than ever, and profits are through the roof! In fact, I don’t want or need any more business.
All of that may be true. This has been an incredible run. Nine years of economic growth. Not a record, but it’s certainly has been a great ride. I hope it continues for nine more years. However, if it doesn’t, I’m prepared because I don’t see my future and the future of my company hinging on the whim of the economy.
Here are three fundamental reasons why any company should always invest in marketing.
1) The good times never last.
Come on admit it, they never do.
The economy will change, and, when it does, are you prepared? Is your brand prepared? Is your brand memorable, even in a downturn?
Will customers choose you over someone else in difficult times? Or better yet, will they remember you when their wallets get tight? This economy will change, and it will affect your business.
This is why it’s so essential to plant those marketing seeds today, so you can harvest when times aren’t quite so bright.
“Winter’s coming.” Sorry for the cliché. But it is true. Remember, it’s tough to plant anything when the ground is frozen.
2) The competition is ALWAYS there.
Things are going so great; you have to turn away work. But…
Is your competition turning away work?
Whether it’s a national chain moving into your space or the little “guys” who are always putting pressure on your “margins” because they don’t have your overhead, competition will always remain.
This isn’t about keeping up with the “The Jones.” This is about being one step ahead of your competitors. Who would say no to that?
3) Consumer tastes, coupled with technology, are always changing.
Change happens much faster today than it ever has before.
Change happens at the click of a button.
Ask yourself this one question: Will you have the same processes ten years from now as you do today? Will you offer the same services? You will not… I guarantee it.
That means your marketing needs to be rock solid as well as fluid. Ironic as it may sound, it’s the only way to survive.
Marketing is not a last-ditch effort.
It’s is a disciplined approach to expanding and keeping your business.