Six Excuses You’re Making That Is StoppingYour Sales From Growing

By: Maile Barcelon, MB media Agency

Taking risks when advertising your business can be scary. Let’s face it. You may be unsure about how much money to invest, or what kind of strategies will work best for you in your industry. Does this sound familiar? If you recently noticed that your sales have been lagging, switching up your marketing efforts could be the very thing you need to turn things around. Especially with how the impact of COVID has forced change upon consumer behavior for the past two years. Although thousands of companies have already successfully used the internet and social media to grow their business, there are still some professionals that tend to make excuses as to why they don’t need to market themselves online. For some, online digital marketing and advertising is still a new concept.

If you’ve been hesitant in the past about marketing your business on the web, then it is most likely you have made one or more of these excuses:

Excuse #1 - I don’t have money and it’s too expensive

If you haven’t already been working on your online presence and ensuring that customers or clients can find you, now is the time to consider changing your thought process as well as your marketing strategy. With the forever changing landscape of the internet and speed of multiple social media platforms, you’ll be glad to know that there are no cost solutions that can help you market your business organically. For beginners, you will want to take advantage of free services such as Google Business Profile - Used for storefront or service businesses that want customers to find them on Google. You can share product photos, your physical map location, including coupon offers, and posts. Facebook Business Page - Share the details of your company socially with your local community. Facebook business pages allow you to share photos, videos, posts, and things like a menu if you own a restaurant. You can also access free Insights on page traffic and other important data on your audience who follow or interact with your content. Instagram for Business - Just like Facebook, Instagram allows you to share photos and videos too. And if you want to create more appealing content, there are tools like filter options, location tagging, and creative video Reels just to name a few.

Excuse #2 - I don’t have time

Just like in the days of when advertising in the phone book was considered the lifeline of a business, so is your online presence. With the increase of mobile usage and tablets, the population of phone book users has significantly declined. Google alone processes over 40,000 search inquiries per second. 75% of smartphone owners turn to search first to address their needs. And, 88% of people who conduct a local search visit a related store within a week. If you want to grow your business, and stay in business, make time to work on how people find you online.

Excuse #3 - I am not tech savvy

Not tech savvy? No problem! There are tons of free information and resources you can access and learn from to sharpen your digital marketing skills. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram alone provide free education on marketing and advertising for businesses who are interested in improving their skillset in this space. In addition, Youtube has tons of video content on “How to do something”. You may even be surprised to learn that many digital marketing companies also share free information on how online marketing and advertising work and how to get started. In the end, if you don’t desire to become an expert in your marketing strategy, consider hiring someone to manage your marketing needs. It will pay off in the end.

Excuse #4 - I don’t want to show my face and am worried about privacy

Many people struggle with vulnerability when it comes to online marketing. But the truth is, showing your face is one of the fastest ways to gain attention on social media. The consistent act of your visibility builds your brand and can drive sales. It may feel awkward at first, but if you work on being “you”, your selfies and posts will build rapport, likability, and trust between you and your customers or clients.

Excuse #5 - I don’t know if I’ll get a return on investment

Who wants to throw money away? Not business owners. Thanks to the internet and smart technologies out there, your digital marketing and advertising efforts come with reporting and real-time data. If you pursue doing paid advertising or organic marketing, know that depending on what platform you’re on, there is usually a way to gather information on how your campaign is doing. You may need to work on how to understand that data, but for the most part, extracting information such as online traffic, the number of engagements, including click thru rates and phone calls are all available at your fingertips. If you don’t know how to retrieve your online reporting, do some research on how to do it on your own or delegate it to someone on your team that can assist with doing so. If you’ve hired a marketing team or digital agency, you will want to ensure they provide this to you.

Excuse #6 - I don’t want my competition to know what we’re doing

It’s probably fair to say that if you haven’t already researched what your competition is doing, they’ve already attempted to know what you’re doing. And if you are doing nothing, they are more than likely already putting into practice the things you haven’t. Focus on what you want to achieve from your own marketing and advertising strategies first, then figure out how you may be able to stand out from your competitors. Know your audience and who you’re targeting. Ask yourself how you can do the job better and why you’re worth it.