If you are in business, you pretty much already know the importance of marketing. If you are not actively engaging in it though, then that is where the problems will arise. Marketing is the most important part of running a successful business because it drives your sales, gets your name out there and is what determines whether or not someone will choose you over another company.

1) Sales This is the end goal for pretty much any business, large or small. If you don't have sales then your business will not continue to grow and prosper. Marketing can be broken down into two parts that both lead into sales: Awareness - getting people to know who you are and that you exist Relevance - convincing people of the value in what you offer and why they should choose you over another business
2) Name and Reputation As a company, your name and reputation is everything. It says a lot about your business and can make or break relationships with customers and businesses alike. Every interaction that someone has with your company will influence their opinion of you, for better or worse. Marketing is what helps to create a good reputation and keep it going strong.
3) Determining the Future of Your Business Marketing can be used in a number of different ways to help grow your business. It can be used to determine what products or services to offer, how to reach new customers, how to retain existing customers and so much more. Marketing is not just about what you do, but also how you do it and why you are doing it. It's important to be able to pinpoint which strategies are most effective for your business with the information that marketing provides you with.
4) Business Expansion If your company wants to grow, then marketing is what is going to make it happen. You can use marketing to find new customers, increase sales and even raise awareness about your business within the community. Marketing can be used as a way to gain more exposure for your company through different channels that weren't available before.
5) Funding Growth Many businesses cannot grow without funding first, which will often come from investors. Marketing can be one way to show potential investors that your business is worth investing in. It can also be used to increase revenue and help the company become more profitable so that it is a more attractive investment.
6) Increased ROI Marketing isn't just about spending money in order to make more money. In fact, sometimes marketing can be used to save money. By using marketing strategies that are effective and efficient, businesses can often see a higher return on investment (ROI) for the money that is spent. This means that marketing is not only necessary for growth, but it can also be a wise investment.
As you can see, the importance of marketing cannot be overstated. If you are not actively engaged in marketing, then your business will likely suffer. It's important to understand what marketing can do for your business and use it to your advantage. With the right plan and execution, marketing can help your business grow and succeed.
Further Reading:
The Dangers Of Poor Marketing (Wordpress.com)
5 Tips To A Winning Product Marketing Strategy (Live Journal)
6 Product Marketing Tips (Tumblr)
10 Tips On How To Do Product Marketing (Blogspot)
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