Can a Business Survive Without Advertising?
Imagine you've just opened a new pet shop in Rossett. You’re offering top-quality pet products, priced below your competitors, with free delivery to all Wrexham residents. It's a fantastic deal that nobody would want to miss - and yet, you aren't making sales.
Even the most effective sales strategies can falter if your potential customers are unaware of your business's existence. Unless you make people aware of what value you bring to them, it will take a lot of work (and luck) for customers to find you. This is why advertising is crucial - you need to spread the word and get your business in front of customers! The more effectively you promote your product or service, the more people will become aware of it, increasing your likelihood of converting them into customers...easy, right?
So, what happens when you don't advertise your business?
Let's revisit the example of owning the pet shop. The only hope for your business to survive without advertising is for people in the neighbourhood to come across your shop and start buying from you. Even if positive word-of-mouth can help bring in more customers, you are still drastically limiting your reach. This will keep your business ‘inside a bubble’, as there are a lot of potential customers you will be missing out on.
Importance of advertising
Missing out on potential customers is a huge setback for any business. Advertising expands business opportunities to attract customers through various methods, such as magazine and radio advertising, leaflet distribution and social media.
Advertising builds trust
Advertising gives your brand a voice. By promoting effectively, you give people a reason to choose your business over a competitor, even if you're relatively new in the market. It gives people confidence that they won't be left in the dark, even if they encounter a problem with your product.
Promoting yourself isn't easy, and every business is different. But advertising is a constant process, not a remedial measure you only look to when things aren't going well, or when you want to temporarily boost your sales or business pipeline. It requires a consistent, long-term effort to promote, nourish and grow your business.
