"I don't have the time or resources for Marketing"
"Social Media is a waste of time"
"I need to get the word out, but I don't have the time or money to invest into Marketing and Advertising"
The above objectives are examples of feedback we hear quite often at BlinkJar Media. The truth is nearly every business owner intially develops similar thought patterns regarding any marketing or advertising endeavors. Because advertising or marketing investments are not "hard" or fixed expenses for a business owner, they are usually the first to be pushed to the side or ignored. Ironically, an investment in marketing should be the last item ignored by business owners.
Yes, advertising and marketing take time and effort. Whether it is an investment in traditional advertising platforms like television or an organic endeavor in social media or blogging, every marketing avenue takes time and effort. Ultimately, successful marketing begins with a change in the mindset of the business owner. Once a change in the mental perspective of the owner has taken place, the restults of their respective marketing efforts will prove to be a wise and beneficial investment. Until this change takes place, marketing will always be a necessary evil (at best) in the mind of the business owner.
We often use the "pushing the car" analogy at BlinkJar Media. Whether a business is just launching an Inbound Marketing campaign or it has just started a major television advertising campaign, results from these efforts will take time. Like pushing a care, your ad efforts in the beginning will reap little to no benefits for the business. However, a consistent and dedicated approach to the marketing campaign will prove to be a worthy investment, as results will start to have a positive, residual effect on the business.
Business owners always make time for items or programs that prove successful. It is natural to simply focus more time and energy into programs that show a return on our investment. But, the ROI in marketing or advertising is not instantaneous. The initial efforts of any marketing campaign can often seem to be "unrewarding". If a business has just started a blog, it can be like speaking the the wall. When initializing a social media effort, it can often times feel like attending a cocktail party of one. And when airing a television advertising campaign for the first few months, it may feel like a hopeless cause. The business owner should realize that building an audience or a following takes time. Consistent focus in the same medium will prove worthy of the effort. It just takes time.
The good news is that anything worth doing takes time and effort. Whether it is working out to improve one's health and fitness or pushing a car to move it forward, time and effort are the keys to success. For the business owners who have the patience and understanding, their business will reap the benefits. It just may take a little time.