The worst thing a client ever told me was, “I don’t have time for this!” This statement struck a cord in me as I realized how often businesses underestimate the significance of dedicating time to marketing. As a seasoned graphic design and marketing professional, I can affirm that marketing isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity.

The Value of Marketing

Marketing plays a pivotal role in communicating your business value proposition. A report by Lucidpress (now Marq) states that consistent brand presentation across all platforms can increase revenue by up to 23%. Marketing allows you to control the narrative around your brand, ensuring consistency across various touch points.

Marketing: Enabling Business Growth Beyond Word of Mouth

While word-of-mouth marketing can drive initial growth in a business, it has its limitations; it’s unpredictable, has a limited reach, and is challenging to control or scale. On the other hand, a well-executed marketing plan propels businesses beyond these limitations. It amplifies your reach, targeting a broader audience segment than what word of mouth can achieve. By employing targeted marketing strategies, businesses can attract potential customers from diverse markets and demographics.

Moreover, marketing allows for data measurement and analysis, enabling businesses to refine their strategies and focus on what works best. This data-driven approach isn’t possible with word of mouth, making marketing an essential tool for sustained, scalable growth. 

The Time Factor in Marketing

Understandably, running a business is time-consuming. However, dedicating time to marketing should be viewed as an investment rather than a chore.

A survey conducted by Infusionsoft/Keap found that small businesses that plan their marketing efforts are nearly twice as likely to grow their businesses or exceed their growth benchmarks. This illustrates that investing time in marketing isn’t just beneficial—it’s critical for growth.

Realistic Time Investment in Marketing Efforts

Determining the appropriate amount of time to invest in marketing depends on the individual business. However, a common guideline suggests that businesses should allocate at least 20-30% of their time toward marketing efforts. This might seem substantial, but remember that marketing is a broad term encompassing a range of activities, such as content creation, social media management, customer outreach, email campaigns, and data analysis, to name a few. (A good rule of thumb is to dedicate at least one day a week to your marketing efforts.)

This percentage might be higher for many small business owners, particularly those in the startup phase. There’s a need to build brand awareness and gain market traction, which requires a significant marketing push. As the business grows, the owner might delegate marketing tasks to a team or hire marketing experts, thus reducing the time they personally need to invest.

Ultimately, the time investment in marketing should reflect its importance in driving business growth. Consistency is key; regular, ongoing marketing efforts are more effective than sporadic, haphazard campaigns. Remember, marketing is a strategic investment that fuels your business’s long-term success.

Leveraging Expertise

Outsourcing your marketing needs to experts can be a viable solution if time is a constraint. According to a Deloitte survey, 57% of businesses cite freeing up internal resources as a reason for outsourcing. By entrusting your marketing to professionals, you can focus on your core business operations without compromising on your marketing efforts.

Staying Engaged: Outsourcing Doesn’t Mean Checking Out

While outsourcing your marketing efforts to professionals can provide relief from dedicating time to marketing and create space for you to focus on other core aspects of your business, it doesn’t mean you should completely disengage from your marketing strategy. Staying involved is imperative to ensure that the outsourced team aligns with your brand’s vision and mission. Regular check-ins and open communication with your marketing team are essential in maintaining a consistent brand message and effectively achieving your business goals. Remember, no one understands your business better than you do, so your insight and feedback are invaluable even when expertise is outsourced. Outsource but stay engaged—this approach gives you the best of both worlds: professional knowledge and your personalized touch.

Conclusion

In the words of Peter Drucker, “The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself.” Making time for marketing is not just about promoting your business; it’s about understanding your customers, meeting their needs, and ultimately driving your business growth.

So, the next time you think you don’t have time for marketing, remember that you may be sidelining your business’s potential for success.