| The Centrality of Marketing |
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Featured Discussion >>  published in LED Digest 2268: Marketing Makes the Money From: Michael Linehan Subject: Centrality of Marketing - Marketing Makes Money! 1. Centrality of MarketingI encounter many people whose feelings about marketing range from boredom to hatred. I often see, "Oh, it's Friday afternoon. I guess we'd getter do a bit of marketing before the weekend." In fact, it's a valid model to say that marketing in THE ONLY way a business makes money. Other activities, such as financial management, help you keep it, not MAKE it. Hiring the top accountants on the continent will not make you a cent if you don't tell anyone what you have for them. Similarly, having a warehouse full of superb inventory won't make any money, if you don't tell anyone. And being able to save a million lives tomorrow morning won't make you a buck if you don't tell anyone --- or if they just think you're a shyster and don't believe you.On the other hand, marketing can make you millions with no inventory, no financial management in place, no staff, etc. Of course, it can even do this with no intention to deliver anything -- i.e. criminal fraud. Business people have got to understand that marketing is what makes the money. So it may not have to be literally every day - but it had better not be as a afterthought each Friday at 3pm! 2. PartnershipThe second point in the logic is, therefore, partnership. If the owners of your 10-room inn are like many, they are "too busy" running the inn to market effectively (in their own minds, anyway). So they have to come to understand point 1 - and then act on it. I work with businesses like that so I can offload to them anything that they can do. I tell them (diplomatically but bluntly) that they either have to pay money or pay time, and that the work is not a "recommendation" or a "good idea" - that someone MUST do it. Generation of site content is one example of such a task. I keep track of what is going on and support, cajole, inspire or nag them into doing their part. It doesn't always work; sometimes they just never generate that needed content. But it often does, and provides them with a powerful but economical experience.Finally, like I said, it may not need to be every day, but if marketing is what actually makes the money, why would they not be spending time and money on it every day!? Michael Linehan Marketing Alchemy www.marketing-alchemy.com Comments (0)
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