Marketing helps people remember your business – and being remembered is the first step to being chosen
At a meeting of Adelaide business owners this week, someone voiced a hesitation I think many business leaders quietly share – deciding whether to invest in marketing for your business when the results might not be immediate or easy to measure.
Unlike business services such as legal advice or bookkeeping, where outcomes are direct and tangible, marketing can take time to show impact. This is especially true for service-based businesses, where sustained brand-building is the focus of the long game.
But here’s what’s also true: people forget. Even your happiest clients forget. Even your most enthusiastic referrers can let your name slip from their mind. Memory fades. Without intentional marketing, the chances of someone remembering you – two, six, twelve months from now – are slim at best. (How often have you heard someone say, “Oh, I should have come to you – I needed that a couple of months ago!”?)
That’s why investing in marketing for your business isn’t just about keeping up appearances – it’s about being remembered, referred, and chosen when the time is right. A core focus in marketing is creating and refreshing memory – the kind that helps people recall your business when what you offer becomes relevant to them. And for most of us, that opportunity could arise at any time of year.
Whether it’s an email, a post, a presentation, a referral follow-up, or a direct conversation – how consistently and how you show up is the foundation of your visibility to clients, prospective clients, collaborators, and referrers.
Marketing is an investment in being in the mix
Marketing is an investment in being in the mix in a future purchase decision. It all rests on having a solid, strategic focus and clear brand positioning. Then the day-to-day work is about reinforcing who you are, your value, and why it matters. What you do influences how people talk about your business to others – and how likely they are to remember you when the need arises.
The good news is that being remembered doesn’t necessarily mean doing more. Often, it means focussing on the right mix of tactics, and usually, both online and offline channels.
Our digital-first age has its benefits – and digital platforms are a natural ‘go to’. They allow you to communicate quickly and flexibly, and they come with inbuilt metrics to help you see who engaged and how. But it’s important to remember that those metrics only tell part of the story. In a group session today, eight out of ten Adelaide business owners admitted they regularly notice online and email content – but rarely engage with it. That’s 80% of the room. Imagine how many people could be people silently absorbing your communications who you’ll never see in your numbers?
If you focus only on tactics that are trackable – like open rates, clicks, or website visits – you’re competing in a noisy space and will need to work hard to cut through. Offline tactics can often be more memorable – most people are more likely to recall a phone call or handwritten note than a post you scrolled past in the school pickup line.
The quality of your encounters matters. Some of your most valuable marketing may come from conversations, impressions, and referrals – the kinds of things that take effort and are valued because of it.
As Forbes highlights, “Your brand matters regardless of the size of your business, and arguably it matters more for small businesses where customers likely have more convenient options.” This is exactly why marketing is worth investing in – to stay visible, relevant, and chosen.
And if you’re not investing in marketing at all? Your competitors probably are. While you’re waiting for perfect clarity or a foolproof measurement system, they’re staying visible and front-of-mind.
Here are a few tips if you're thinking about investing in marketing services
If you’re considering engaging a marketing consultant or agency, approach it like any other strategic investment – with a clear understanding of what you need and how you’ll be involved.
- Find the right kind of marketer (the biggie)
Like any profession, in marketing it’s a case of horses for courses. Some are great at content creation or social media production. Others focus on high-level strategy, positioning, and planning. If you need help setting direction, a marketing consultant can bring structure, alignment, and clarity. If you already have a strategy and need help executing, a digital marketer or content producer may be a better fit. Before you commit, make sure the person or team has the right expertise for your stage of business maturity and your business type. A service-based business selling to other businesses (B2B) will need a very different approach to one selling products directly to consumers (B2C). When I come across people who describe ‘bad experiences with marketers’ invariably they’ve worked with someone who doesn’t know and account for category differences. - Understand how involved you’ll need to be
Some marketing work can be outsourced entirely – but most still needs your input. Whether it’s strategic direction, approvals, or client insights, your time will likely be required. Ask early about what’s expected and make sure you have the capacity to give it. Otherwise, even the best-laid plan can stall. - Think beyond what’s easy to measure
I get it. It’s natural to lean towards channels that provide measurable stats, like social media, email marketing, paid ads. But these aren’t always the most effective tools for building trust or shifting perception. Your marketer should be helping you to explore broader tactics like PR, strategic partnerships, referral marketing programs, and networking opportunities. - Create well-rounded feedback loops
A good marketing approach relies on ‘listening’ beyond the standard survey. Make time to speak with clients and people who didn’t choose you (or pay engage a business like us to do it for you). Watch your competitors without being psyched out by them. Stay curious about what’s changing in your market. Marketing shouldn’t happen in a vacuum – and the more you understand what’s going on around you, the more effectively your marketing partner can support you.
How we can help
If you’re questioning whether your marketing is hitting the mark – or facing decisions about rebranding, evolving your services, or reaching a new audience – a clear, expert perspective can make all the difference.
A 90-minute See.Clearer Session is a great place to start. You’ll tap into Tania’s experience as a Certified Practising Marketer and gain tailored advice to clarify your strategy, refine your brand, or even explore ways to uncover what your audience values including client or referrer interviews and targeted focus groups,
If you’re looking for more support, we can also prepare a tailored proposal to help unlock your potential and deliver the most value for your business opportunities today.
