Marketing, advertising, public relations, social media, selling - they’re all important to your overall success. I’m sorry to say, the better mouse trap isn’t going to succeed by simply being better. It’s a fact new entrepreneurs often grapple with during their start-up.

Hyperbole abounds

Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door. Nope. In fact, you likely won’t even rank on Amazon or Google. At least not without some components of good marketing in place. Consumers need to know about your product or service and there’s still only one method for spreading the word - marketing.

Yes, marketing has a great many new options. But when you break it down, the social media expert isn’t that far removed from the carnival barker who’s trying to get you to play his games or see his shows. It’s simply a larger audience and a different type of “barking”. Advertising is similar. There’s a reason the circus coming to town generally started with a parade down main street with elephants and lions - it got people’s attention and got them excited. And when neighbors gossip over the backyard fence - well that’s simply a scandalous spin-off of old fashioned PR.

Most of us will accept marketing

We’re hard-wired to want things. Things we believe will make us more successful, more attractive, or make our lives easier. Deep down we’re all envious of the Joneses and their new car, or new TV, or new clothes. We desire them for ourselves too. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. The urge to improve and to excel is good for us. It only goes off the rails when it’s corrupted.

Marketing is crucial

You won’t make a sale without telling someone about what you’re selling. It’s that simple. So don’t expect the world to beat a path to your door. Get out there and tell prospects about your new product or service and convince them why it’s the best thing since sliced bread. Show them how it will make their lives better. If you don’t, then they won’t buy. It’s that simple.

So hang out your shingle and start barking

Some entrepreneurs loathe having to sell their wares. Maybe they’re the quiet type, or engineers who think the features sell themselves. But it’s simply not the case. So make sure, if you’re going to start a business you’re prepared to start marketing too. In fact, start marketing before you launch… so you can have customers on day one. Otherwise, you’ll be sitting wondering why nobody is buying until it’s time to advertise you’re going out of business.