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As someone who lives and breathes marketing strategy work, being asked why it matters can sometimes seem like you’re asking why it’s important to drink water, or have enough oxygen in the air. I'm drinking the Kool-Aid so hard it can tough to take a step back. But I'm going to try.
Because strategy IS the why. Strategy is the cord that links the thing you do, with the reason you’re doing it. If you can articulate the reason behind an action and the goal you’re trying to achieve, then you’re being strategic. If you can’t, then you’re not. It’s that simple. And if it’s that simple, why not be strategic in your marketing?
But for many service businesses (oh so many), marketing is just something other people do, or something you can trial and error your way through. And yes, trial and error is one way to do it. But it takes a looong time and you’ll probably waste quite a lot of your resources (time, money, etc) in the process.
There’s always room for experimentation with a strategy in place, but why not know WHY you’re doing something before you do it?
What are you missing out on without a marketing strategy?
Often service businesses pride themselves on delivering amazing work, believing that quality alone will attract clients (wouldn't that be lovely?). Although excellence is mandatory, without a structured marketing approach, you're leaving your business growth to chance. Here are a few things you're missing out on:
Consistent lead generation that doesn't depend on referrals and better referrals, if that’s your main source of business
Opportunities to scale beyond your current network
The ability to target your ideal clients rather than taking whatever comes your way
Protection against market downturns and seasonal fluctuations
I could list so many more, but you get the idea. For fun, I asked Chat GPT to come up with a list of the risks service businesses face if they don't have a marketing strategy. It came up with nine.
What could your business be like with a marketing strategy in place?
On the other hand, here is a little picture of what it could look like with a marketing strategy:
Your marketing runs like a well-oiled machine, consistently delivering qualified leads and your calendar is filled with appointments from ideal clients who:
Already understand your value proposition before the first meeting
Come pre-qualified and ready to engage
View you as an authority in your field rather than just another service provider
Then, once they are clients, your marketing strategy can help you retain them longer and encourage them to become loyal customers and eventually advocates for you and your business to help you get yet more of the right clients.
Sound too good to be true? Well, there are no guarantees, but if you can get closer to that ideal than you are now, then that’s a step in the right direction and in business we call that progress!
If you're still not sure if you need a marketing strategy right now, here are five signs you might.
And if you think the time is right for you to get strategic about your marketing, let's talk!
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