‘I don‘t need to understand marketing, I‘ll just outsource it to someone else‘, I heard Dominic utter with hope in his voice as he was looking at his business growth, aka non-growth over the past twelve months.
Dominic had been in business for a few years and the past two have been particularly challenging with diminishing sales and increased cash flow struggles.
Looking at Dominic‘s business I realise that the one thing that can and will save his butt and grow his business over the next twelve months is to invest in his own marketing education to understand how to drive his company forward instead of keeping to throw money at different experts all working dis-jointedly.
As much as I personally love outsourcing (yup, my team often laughs at my outsourcing obsession), understanding marketing is crucial to avoid wasting money and to be able to decide which strategies will bring the best return for your business.
Unfortunately his mindset around not needing to understand marketing is reflected by many business owners. And I totally understand why; for decades marketing has been labelled as sleazy, annoying or even evil. And yes, there certainly is plenty of that type of marketing out there (although it is getting better), however that‘s not the kind of marketing that will make Dominic or you popular.
Great marketing is not about ramming something down someone‘s throat or trying to convince someone to buy from you.
It‘s about engaging your customers, exciting your customers, educating your customers and attracting your customers rather than chasing them.
I assume that if you are reading this you already do understand the importance of marketing to grow your business.
The good news is that there is so much opportunity for you because your competitors are most likely not running marketing campaigns that are exciting. Plus there are literally hundreds of different marketing strategies, both offline and online, you can use depending on your business and target markets.
Wait, I have more good news. Even though as a business owner you absolutely must invest in understanding marketing so you don‘t waste money and energy on stuff that isn‘t giving you results, you don‘t have to do it all by yourself, you can absolutely outsource the implementation of your campaigns.
But if you don‘t at least understand marketing strategy, it is very easy for you to get lost in a sea of jargon and ineffective strategies without keeping your finger on the pulse of your business.
What do you think Steve Jobs was really good at and hence turned Apple into one of the biggest companies in the world? What about Richard Branson who owns hundreds of companies (without running them)?
Yup, you guessed it right. Marketing. They are both brilliant marketers.
Right now more than ever before there are new businesses popping up left and right only to close down again after a few years, sometimes months. It truly upsets me to see people‘s dreams (and souls) getting crushed like that. People with big dreams, big ambitions and big hearts but unfortunately no marketing knowledge.
Marketing is not the only reason many businesses fail, however having a proper marketing strategy followed by execution plays a crucial role in any business‘ success.
I‘ve also seen many businesses turn around after implementing a solid brand and marketing strategy.
You can either put your head in the sand and hope for good luck or start educating yourself about the best marketing strategies out there to grow a successful business.
There has never been a better time for small businesses to leverage the technologies and innovations available to them to leave a big mark in the world. It‘s just about staying at the cutting edge and taking advantage of the opportunities available to us, there are plenty!
Here is to creating ripple effects of awesomeness everywhere you go,
Franziska Iseli
The Outsourcing Trap: Blind Faith vs. Strategic Control
Many entrepreneurs view marketing as a sleazy, annoying chore that they can simply hand off to a third-party agency. However, delegating your marketing without understanding the underlying mechanics is a massive operational risk. When you throw money at disjointed experts without keeping a finger on the pulse of your own business, you lose control of your revenue pipeline.
| Operational Approach | The Blind Delegator | The Strategic Owner |
| Agency Relationship | Hands over the credit card and hopes for good luck. | Directs the agency based on a clear, high-level vision. |
| Marketing Mindset | Views marketing as ramming a product down people’s throats. | Views marketing as educating and attracting ideal buyers. |
| Cash Flow Control | Bleeds budget on ineffective, disjointed campaigns. | Measures exact ROI and cuts failing strategies immediately. |
| Business Foundation | Builds a great product but remains completely invisible. | Emulates leaders like Steve Jobs by prioritizing brand visibility. |
Franziska’s Marketing Axiom: You do not have to personally execute every single Facebook ad, email blast, or website update—outsourcing implementation is incredibly smart. But you absolutely cannot outsource the core strategy. You must invest in your own marketing education so you can navigate the sea of jargon, direct your contractors effectively, and know exactly which levers will yield the highest return for your specific company.
The 3 Phases of Strategic Delegation
To successfully leverage outside help without wasting your marketing budget, transition your operations through this three-step sequence:
To discover more marketing strategies, make sure you join us at the next Marketing Ecosystem Workshop to map out your one-page marketing plan. Here is the link to register (no cost!): https://www.basicbananas.com/virtualsummit/
Or apply to join the popular Clever Bunch program to accelerate your business growth. https://www.basicbananas.com/cleverbunch/
Here’s to creating ripple effects of brilliance everywhere we go!
The Basic Bananas Team