Sshhh, don't let anyone know, they may want to buy

Without marketing your products and services are a best kept secret for the few. If you excel at your work then word of mouth and recommendations will spread the word but this is not enough. You need to find your client’s preferred platform and make potential clients aware of your existence. Inform them of what you can offer, the problems you can solve and give examples of your experience.

Creative marketing can deliver a memorable message. Having a campaign that regularly jogs the memory of targeted clients builds familiarity with your brand.

In construction / building products there is still a plethora of “old school” marketing with printed brochures and no social media presence. Some do not even have a website and e commerce could be another planet used by aliens.

Many think marketing is a waste of money and believe it is another word for advertising. Well there is more to marketing than that. Good marketing supports sales, it involves research, feedback, data analysis and monitoring of market trends and competitor activity, lead generation and more, and that is only part of the marketing portfolio.

I have heard business owners refer to marketing as a spending machine, thinking sales people make money and marketing people only spend it. However, a good marketeer will measure their success or failure so it will be evident if their strategy and /or campaigns have been effective or not.

The best business solution is where sales and marketing work closely together with good lines of communication.

In times when companies are struggling for sales many business owners will say they cannot afford marketing when in fact it is the very time when it is needed. When you have to increase sales it is not a matter of “can’t afford marketing” but a case of “can’t afford not to”; it is a means to spread your message creating awareness and interest.