Marketing is like Bodybuilding

Introduction

As soon as I realized the stark similarities between bodybuilding and marketing I jumped right on to my blog editor to let the whole world know about this amazing discovery that will change the way you grow your business. If you have ever embarked on a journey to bodybuilding or watched fitness gurus talk about the things they do to look the way they do, you would notice a few things right away. First you need to start exercising. Next it needs to become a part of your daily routine. It takes time to get the results you want. But if you follow the routine and perform the exercises, the results are guaranteed and it just keeps getting better and better after a while.

Marketing is the exact same way. You are not going to see any immediate results but if you stay consistent and perform all the exercises on a daily basis then you are sure to start attracting people to your business. I always say that "the hardest part about going to the gym, is going to the gym". Now I can say that "the hardest part about marketing is marketing itself".

So, what is marketing? Marketing is spreading a set of impactful messages about your business that can generate enough market interest about your products and services for people to make a move to either buy from you or at the very least inquire about them. The most common mistake that people make about marketing is that they confuse it with sales. Marketing is not sales and one should not do it with the mindset of generating a quick revenue from it.

How marketing works

A very simple way to explain this would be to think about the toothpaste you have been using and ask yourself why you have been buying that toothpaste of the same brand all these years. Somewhere in your brain it is registered as a good brand probably because you liked their commercial and saw it one too many times during your favorite television show. Now that is the kind of result you can expect from marketing. Advertising is just paying the media to spread your message. You can do it in many other ways.

The main takeaway here is that marketing will help register your brand into people's brains so when they need the type of products and services you are selling, they are going to think of you and most likely buy from you. The key is to keep spreading those great messages about your brand and just keep doing it on a regular basis so people don't forget about you.

I think now you can see why this is like bodybuilding. You have got to keep working out to stay in great shape. You cannot achieve a great body overnight. You don't see any change in your body the day after the workout. But over a period of time you achieve a great physique. And, lets not forget how hard and painful it is to workout everyday and how much effort it takes every time.

Where do you start

Like any good fitness guru will tell you that you just need to start doing it. There is no right or wrong way to start. The most important thing is to get used to the discomfort and get past the initial month so you can start noticing the change and form a habit. Most people never return to the gym after one or two visits because its hard and giving up is easier than working out. Those who stay on the course and keep going despite the hardships find out that it was only hard in the beginning and gets easier with time and produces amazing results.

Marketing isn't easy. Just like there are various bodybuilding exercises, there are many different ways to market your business. It is easy for a beginner to get confused. With so much information out there, one can easily get lost in the technicalities and start to question if what they are doing is going to work for them. If you look at the basics, it does not matter how many times your lift a certain weight or how you lift it, lifting alone is enough for your body to react and start getting stronger. You can always improve your techniques and perform your exercises in better ways to maximize your gains over time. In the same way it does not matter how you spread your brand awareness. Just letting one new person know about it everyday is still better than not doing anything at all.

How do you do it

The simple answer is - Create a Plan.

A simple google search can bring up a list of popular marketing techniques you can follow. Just pick out a few that you feel comfortable with and start doing them on a daily basis. While we are on the subject I can suggest a few basic exercises to get you started:

1. Post on social media
2. Send out emails to people you know
3. Start a blog

That list can go on and on but all that matters is what you can do on a daily basis. Every marketing activity takes time and there is limited time in a day. Most small business owners do not have the time to spend hours on these activities everyday. Others do not have the budget to hire people to do it for them. So the best way is to pick out a few simple activities towards which you can spare an hour or two everyday. 

A few things to keep in mind:

1. Stay consistent with your messaging
2. Always try and include your logo or your brand name in every message
3. Use the same style in every message

Perform your exercise routine

For those who made it past the first month in the gym will be able to relate to this very easily. It is so easy to get demotivated after a day or two of exercising. Its painful, it drains all your energy, provides zero pleasure and entertainment and feels like a huge burden just thinking about doing it again. That is why you need to remind yourself of the dream body you want and keep pushing yourself to do it.

The best part about all of this is that it works! You are never going to find anyone that kept performing their exercises routinely for a few months but did not achieve any results at all. It is impossible to get no positive results from routine marketing exercises even if you are promoting the worst possible product or service. 

The key here is to keep going and perform your exercise routine everyday without doubting the positive impact it will have over your business.

Lower your expectations

Let us be aware of the facts. You are not going to achieve that dream physique overnight, no matter what you do. Same way, you are not going to achieve business success overnight, no matter what you do. 

If you ask any bodybuilder who went from zero to a great looking body, they will tell you that it took them at least one year at the minimum. And that is with taking supplements and complete dedication. Achieving business success also takes time. You will start noticing the results within 2-3 months of consistent marketing but to actually make it big you will need to stay on the course for at least a year or two. 

It is best to lower your expectations and start marketing with that mindset to really be successful. It will also help if you can view marketing as a growth strategy versus a survival strategy.

Budget vs Expertise

I have to admit that bodybuilding is not as expensive as marketing. With all the marketing exercises you need to perform, the cost can be a limiting factor and that is what makes it harder. Not having a marketing budget is a very common issue that most businesses are faced with. But this should not stop you as you can shift your focus towards the untapped in house expertise you might already have.

Look for people within your organization that have skills in the area of writing, graphics design, producing witty remarks, being socially active etc. You as a business owner might have some of these skills in you. With all the AI assistance available these days, things have gotten easier. Whatever expertise you can find within your business is enough to get you started.

The plan is to produce creative & impactful messages in the form of physical or electronic media format and distribute them through whatever channels you can get your hands on. As time progresses and you get better at marketing you will realize that you have built the foundation upon which you can now expand.

It is really important to put in the marketing effort on a daily basis to be able to improve upon it and discover new ways to expand it. Just like bodybuilding you will be surprised how it grows on you and makes your better and stronger as time progresses.

Conclusion

For years I have struggled finding the answer to this one question - what is it I should do grow my business? Only if knew what I should do, it would solve everything. Most business owners struggle with the same question. They are always trying to figure out ways to grow their business. Some of their ideas work and some don't but it is a constant struggle for sure. 

Marketing is the answer to that question. It is the hidden secret that is so widely available in an unstructured format that business owners have to start performing these marketing exercises without questioning their validity to really see for themselves what they have been missing.

I hope this article serves as an eye opener for many who are struggling to grow their business and are dealing with the constant stress that comes with being a business owner.