THE MOST POWERFUL MISTAKE A BUSINESS OWNER CAN MAKE

Far too many businesses continue to ascribe to the belief “if we build it, they will come”. However, when times get tough, many small businesses tend to look at marketing and advertising as the first budget line item to cut. In reality, this is one of the biggest mistakes a small business owner can make. Why? Your competition is also cutting their marketing which leaves the field open for YOU to stand out!

Why do professional marketers often feel like saying “if it’s so easy, do it yourself”? True story: a client once told me they were going to google marketing over the weekend and tell me what should be done. That client was a surgeon. Imagine if I said, “I’ll google surgery over the weekend and tell you what instruments you should be using”.  (and yes, I really did say that to him!)

Professional marketing should appear easy, however in reality, it’s difficult. It’s also non-tangible and hard for non-professionals to understand the elements that make up a solid strategy. Marketing, branding, and advertising, while related and overlapping, are terms that often confuse a small business owner because each have their own unique role in reaching a target audience with relevant messaging:

• Marketing defines everything about your brand. Your marketing strategy is the blueprint for your business. It not only defines what you do, but also how and when to do it including things like dressing staff members in apparel that reflects brand identity, or the way customers are greeted, or what your phone message says, or even how you present your business at events. Your marketing portrays an excellent indication of what your customer can expect.
• Branding incorporates your logo including the shape, color, and font. There should be specific guidelines as to the color scale, pixels, and how the logo is used. It ensures that all aspects work well together in harmony to create an appealing look for customers to identify and relate to your business.  
• Advertising is where you show off your business.  There are so many media outlets to consider: radio, magazines, newspaper, social media, television, OTT, digital, direct mail, Google ads, events, and so many more.  It is head spinning even for the savviest of advertising professionals. The golden nugget is knowing which ones will reach the right people with the right message.

Growing your business footprint is a time-consuming and difficult task. It’s better left to professionals who can look objectively at the state of affairs in your company and determine what needs to be done for growth purposes. Their job is to let you get back to doing what you love as soon as possible so that we all win!

Now that we’ve defined the three terms and clarified how they work together, it’s important to remember that none of these are successful without a strategic plan. This is where so many small businesses fall short; they try to do too much themselves and end up with a Frankenstein-like marketing mix that doesn’t make sense. Leave the time-consuming task of strategy to the experts and let them help you create a cohesive plan to reach your target market. When all of your marketing efforts are working in harmony, you’ll begin to see real results for your small business and attain your goals.

Don’t fall victim to small business owner mistakes. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or maybe you just don’t have the energy to take on another project right now, leave it to the experts at Firewall Branding. We specialize in developing comprehensive marketing plans along with analytics for maximum effect. Contact us to learn more about our services and see how we can help you achieve your business goals.

Want more? Like us on Facebook here for our quick tips!