Why you should advertise when you are busy - don't stink of desperation!

I have dealt with many clients in the past that have said they don’t need to advertise since they are too busy.

I have also witnessed several of those clients hit unexpected dry spells that resulted in a frantic search for more business.

In my opinion, there is rarely a bad reason to prepare for the near-future, especially in a world that changes from day to day.

How can you prepare for the near-future?

My statement above may seem difficult to digest given the future is not predictable. However, in this case, I see preparations as preventative measures that help minimise exposure to a downturn in business.

There is no guarantee that advertising means your business will avoid a downturn. However, inaction to promote your business guarantees no new channels besides word-of-mouth.

Don’t forget, competitors to your business actively search for ways to be seen. If they are consistent in their efforts while you take zero action, their business may start securing your prospective clients.

What type of advertising do I mean?

Advertising is far deeper than the modern thinking of Google Ads and Social Media Marketing. Yes, the aforementioned channels are positive for advertisement but there are many different ways to seek business.

You could walk directly into a business to meet the owner, invest in a website, invest in billboards, attend local events, wrap your car, collaborate with businesses or even write a blog post.

If you have ever been fishing, you can use a burley bucket to attract more fish to the boat. In business, I don’t see any reason why you can’t invest in more than one burley bucket (advertising channel) at the same time.

Do you really need to advertise your business?

Each business has its own model and I cannot pretend to know yours as the reader. However, I know that you should avoid one thing at all costs - stinking of desperation.

If you are busy, it is easy to gain a temporary bravado where increased confidence boosts your negotiating skills. When a dry spell is taking place, the want for more can quickly turn into a need for more.

This can burst your balloon of confidence and may lead you to sell yourself short out of desperation.

Summary

This is not meant to be a business lecture and I am only speaking from experience. That experience leads me to a closing statement:

Dedicating resources to different advertising channels increases your chance of remaining busy.

I could be told that I need 20+ years experience to accurately make this judgement but I believe additional time has diminishing returns in this case.

We are busier than ever and still invest in different burley buckets every day. Don’t wait until a *downturn* to take action otherwise you will risk stinking of desperation.