Did You Forget To Take Your Medicine?

Small town business owners often treat marketing like taking their vitamins… something nice to take, but not essential. I'm here to tell you marketing is more like medicine - it's critical for the health and growth of your business.

Let's break it down. When you take a daily vitamin, it provides supplemental nutrients. It's a bonus. But if you're sick and need to get well, you take medicine. Medicine is required to fix the problem. Marketing for your business is very similar. It's not just a nice extra or something to do occasionally. It is required on an ongoing basis if you want your business to thrive, especially in today's digital world.

Think of it this way - you wouldn't expect your body to heal itself without the proper medication. Similarly, you can't expect your business to grow and prosper without intentional, consistent marketing. Things like social media, email campaigns, and search engine optimization are digital "medicines" that help connect you with customers and drive real business results. They cure the disease of obscurity that many small town businesses suffer from.

Now I know as a rural business, marketing can feel overwhelming. You may not have a big budget or staff focused on it. But don't let that stop you from taking your marketing "medicine"! Start small with one or two consistent digital activities like an email newsletter or Facebook promotions. Slowly build from there as you are able. Better to take a little medicine consistently than none at all. But make sure you keep taking that digital marketing medication - it's essential for the health of your small town business!

For example, let's say you run a local restaurant in a small town. You likely rely a lot on regulars and word-of-mouth. But to grow, you need to attract new customers. Posting your daily specials and photos of tasty food on Facebook is like a "marketing medicine" - it gives people a glimpse into your business and keeps you top of mind. Setting up a simple email newsletter to announce new menu items or coupons is another medicinal dose of digital marketing. And getting your restaurant to show up in local online searches helps cure your obscurity too. They seem small, but these digital tactics work together to drive real business results.

Or maybe you own a rural boutique shop. Social media posts highlighting new products can lure shoppers. An email list with styling tips and promotions brings back repeat customers. And SEO and local listings make it easy for people to find your store online. See how the medicine adds up?

Of course, these digital marketing medicines work best when taken regularly, not just once in awhile. Posting on social media or sending emails sporadically is like taking medicine every few weeks - it won't be as effective. You need a steady dose. Much like consistent exercise leads to better health, maintaining your digital marketing efforts consistently makes your business healthier in the long run.

The good news is digital marketing "medicine" can be relatively affordable, especially compared to old-school tactics like print, TV, and radio ads. You don't need a huge budget to start small and be consistent. And you can even learn to DIY many digital tactics - no marketing degree required! So don't let limited resources stop you from taking your marketing medicine. Where there's a will (and a wifi connection) there's a way!