Mr. Marketing: Do your own marketing?
By Rob Weinberg, Ask Mr. Marketing
Why can’t I do my own marketing? — Sherry Falk, Poway
Rob Weinberg
Short answer: you can. Many company owners figure they know their product better than anyone else and can therefore market it most effectively.
Some of them are still in business.
However, merely because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.
Take house stuff, for example. Wander into Home Depot and you’ll see scads of Do-It-Yourselfers avoiding having to hire outside service providers. Sometimes even I try my hand at it.
However, at my bride’s behest I WON’T touch the electricity. That’s probably smart, too, since I’d end up with my hair on end (making wearing my hat challenging!).
Through trial and error I’ve come to realize there are things like gardening that I can do. Other things, like rewiring the house, are beyond me.
I know my limits. Do you?
My scientific friends say we all think with different parts of our brains. Accountants and engineers see the world one way, musicians another. No one way is better; just different.
This leads to varying interests and capabilities. Sculptors sculpt, plumbers plumb. The two rarely cross.
I’m a strategic/creative guy, capable of developing and implementing great marketing plans. I know how to spend money, but can’t balance a checkbook. Can’t fix the car, either, though I know how to drive it.
Actually, even marketers need help outside their areas of expertise. I’m a writer, but can’t draw or design worth beans. For that I bring in specialists.
So while it’s a tempting economy measure to write, design, photograph, and do all the rest yourself, strategizing company growth is probably a better use for your time.
As the owner you must have the vision of where you’re taking the business. Frankly, if you have time to micromanage Web design and brochure copy, you probably aren’t managing your time very effectively…or you’re annoying the people whose job includes creative messaging.
Your job should be representing and selling your company image to the public and saying yes or no to creative development done by others. Actual marketing development will be, at best, a distraction for you. Your precious time should be worth more than that.
With that said, I wish you a week of profitable marketing.
Mr. Marketing has spent 30 years helping CEOs focus on what’s important for their businesses. Get his help at www.askmrmarketing.com.
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Posted by Steve Dreyer
on Aug 24 2012. Filed under Business, Mr. Marketing.
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