The Myth of the Painted Shingle

If you have a business and nobody knows you exist, is it really a business? When you open a storefront—it doesn’t matter if it’s bricks and mortar or virtual—people have to know you exist in order for you to succeed.

Back in the day, it was sufficient to paint your name on a piece of discarded roofing and hang it on the front of your building. But today, opening a business requires strategy and marketing.

Today, you need a website. You need SEM. And you need to make yourself known in your immediate geography.

Marketing a start-up requires thought and courage. It’s critical at the beginning to establish a strong brand and let everyone know your story. Educate them on why they need you. Give them incentive to explore your company. You need to reach your customer and make them feel your brand.

Similarly, if you’re moderately successful and know that you’re capable of so much more because people want what you’re selling, I’m betting that a well-thought out marketing plan will make the difference. As a friend of mine recently said, “It certainly can’t hurt.”