The Best Excuses to Not Do Marketing, Debunked

Everyone makes excuses not to do something, even marketing professionals. The key to marketing is making it a consistent part of your workload, but don’t neglect it for these reasons:

1. I don’t know what to write
It’s okay if you don’t have something to say every day. But, if you think that you have nothing to say, ever… you do!

For starters, comment on the news in your industry. Share the challenges of starting a business. Make your values and goals known. Create a network of peers and support through your story. Write out bits of helpful information that you like to share with new customers.

2. It’s not important
2.65 billion people use social media. And as of 2018, the average daily social media usage of internet users around the world was 136 minutes a day.

On Facebook, 66% of users Like or Follow a brand. On Instagram, 90% of users follow a business. On Twitter, 79% of users like to discover what’s new. On Pinterest, 77% of weekly users discover a new brand. And, on LinkedIn, it’s proven to be 277% more effective at generating new customers than Facebook. It’s hard to argue with those facts…

3. I don’t want to spam friends and family
A valid concern, but hopefully your friends and family are not only psyched for you but also ready to support you. If it feels too uncomfortable, create separate accounts between personal and business so that you can start fresh and give your network the option to tune in.

4. I feel uncomfortable about self promotion
A little tough love goes a long way — but if you’re not confident in yourself, your skills or your business mission, you are in for an uphill battle. Believe in your work, otherwise perhaps starting a business isn’t what you want to do?

5. Who would even read my posts
No one will read them if you don’t post them! Yes it’s a bit scary or daunting to post and hope for the best. Start with joining conversations with your peers or industry leaders, tap in to what your customers pain points and needs are, comment on news. People will read your posts.

6. I tried, and social media isn’t working
Welcome to marketing. Social media is just one necessary tool among many. You simply can’t run your business without it. It’s a great discovery tool, an excellent way for customers to check out what you have to say, and it’s useful for reviews and testimonials or answering questions casually. Not everything you do will feel like it worked, but the more consistent you are, it will pay off.

If you’re not doing marketing because you don’t have time, or you feel overwhelmed, start with a little at a time. Even if it’s 10 minutes a day or 10 minutes a week — it’s worth it.