Marketing is the Backbone of Every Business

So How Come So Many Business Owners Still Don't Get IT?

As you all know I recently moved from Murcia to Marbella, in search for a little more lively atmosphere for living. Thankfully – this side of Spain appeals very much…

Back to marketing – while up in Murcia you wouldn't exactly expect any great marketing, down here I was presuming will be very different. After all – Marbella – is the center of the Spanish south coast – the playground of the rich and famous… Fine – and yes the service and product providers to the rich and famous here have done a relatively decent job on their marketing. But as soon as you cast your eye to the small businesses, the marketing wheels start to fall off.

Sheepish Disclaimer: I know I'm probably going to offend quite few people here in one go – but I don't do it to hurt! I do it, so that hopefully by pointing out the bad stuff, people will wake up a little and start taking marketing seriously.

My point is, that the bad advertising and non-existence of a marketing strategy amongst the SMEs of the Costa del Sol (and please bare in mind I am generalising here) is a testament to one thing: small business owners still don't understand the importance of having a good marketing strategy in place, and that actually planning where and how to spend your marketing Euros can mean the difference between thriving and surviving – especially in the current economy (I so dislike climbing on the economic crisis bandwagon, but it is important to mention here, so I climb right on board…).

Marketing somehow always falls at the bottom of the daily "To Do" list.

I understand that as a small business owner, you often do the jobs of 5 to 7 people – let's face it sometimes you do ALL the jobs. And that's sometimes the only way to do it in the beginning. But the irony is that if you take a little time out to see the bigger picture and plan your marketing better, then you will not only have more time to do the other stuff, but you'll also have more clients, more profits from those clients, and you will keep those clients for longer, because the relationships you build will negate the competition.

Marketing is a multi-faceted and complex specialty to grasp. Some people take to it like a 'duck to water' or a 'cat to eating fish' ;o), but most people can just about grasp the principles and then they have to (should chose) to let go. I'm not here to tell you how to run your business, but I am here to tell you that you should at the least invest in one book on marketing and familiarise yourself with the basics.

Then decide if you want to do it yourself, or if you want to get someone in to do it for you. But beware of two things:

1. Even if you decide to outsource your marketing – strategy and/or tactics – DON'T let go of the big picture. Ask to be kept in the loop. Know what's going on and what's being done. And always make sure that your marketing is doing what your ideal prospect will take notice of – nothing else matters.
2. If you do decide to outsource – hire a professional – the right, professional. Don't just presume that because a person has done events management – they know how to do print advertising. Or just because a person is an excellent web designer – they know anything about web usability, or online marketing principles… Check that they can do what you need them to do – get recommendations, and educate yourself sufficiently to know when you're being told stories…

Here are my top 3 choices of books if you decide to touch-up on your marketing:

1. The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber – not entirely a marketing book, but it has so much on how to build and run a solid small business, that it would be ridiculous for me to leave it out. It is by far one of the most digestible set of information on business, and marketing I've ever read.
2. Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug – this one is orientated at website usability – indispensable book for when you want to build or re-build your website. It has marketing gold dust sprinkled all over it ;o) If you want to go a step further than this – grab a copy of Call To Action by Bryan Eisenberg & Jeffrey Eisenberg.
3. Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind by Al Ries & Jack Trout – this one may be a little more complex especially if marketing isn't something that lights your fire, but it is incredibly good read – it will open your eyes.

OK, I know I said it's a list of 3 books – but I had to do a special mention for Raleigh Pinskey's book – 101 Ways to Promote Yourself. I spoke about it in my last post. If after you've read the above 3 marketing books, and you need a kick-start in your local business promotions – that little book is great to give you ideas fast.