Why “Cheap” Marketing Cost You a Ton of Money
Marketing costs money—there's no getting around it. The sooner businesses accept this fact, the better off they’ll be.
In the classic book “The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing” by Al Ries and Jack Trout, the last law is perhaps the most critical: "The Law of Resources." It states that without adequate funding, an idea won’t succeed. A mediocre idea with a solid marketing budget will outperform a great idea without the financial backing.
Marketing costs money—there's no getting around it. The sooner businesses accept this fact, the better off they’ll be. Too many companies try to do marketing on the cheap, and it simply doesn’t work. The key issue here is mindset: there’s a big difference between cost-effective and cheap. When you focus on being cheap, you're not saving money—you’re hurting your own business.
Marketing, at its core, is about people and building relationships with them. And let’s be clear: relationships take time and, yes, money to nurture. Marketing is not just about pushing products or services; it’s about communicating with people, connecting with their values, and creating lasting connections. When businesses take a "cheap" approach, they’re effectively saying, “I shouldn’t have to invest much to get someone to care about my business.” That kind of thinking is not only short-sighted but also insulting to the audience.
The real question isn’t, “How can we spend less?” Instead, it should be, “How do we invest wisely in building lasting relationships with our audience?”
The Importance of Investment in Marketing
Think of marketing like a first impression at a job interview. You wouldn’t show up in sloppy clothes, with an unprepared pitch, and expect to land the job. Poorly executed marketing shows your audience that you don’t value their attention.
Many businesses hope for magical results from minimal marketing efforts, but this "if you build it, they will come" mindset doesn’t work. To build trust and loyalty, your marketing should communicate value clearly and thoughtfully.
At the heart of marketing, you’re essentially asking someone to do something: listen to you, support you, buy from you, invest in you. To think you shouldn't have to spend money to get someone to care about your brand or build a relationship is unrealistic.
The Difference Between Cost-Effective and Cheap
There’s a big difference between being cost-effective and being cheap. Cost-effective marketing involves smart spending, focusing on the long-term growth of customer relationships. Cheap marketing, on the other hand, relies on cutting corners, often leading to poor results and damaged brand reputation.
There’s a natural argument that arises when businesses hear they need to spend more on marketing: “How do we know we’re not wasting money?” The answer is simple—invest in building relationships, not just pushing sales. If you’re cutting corners, you’re not only damaging your brand but also missing the opportunity to create loyalty.
Good marketing is about building connections, not chasing conversions. If you treat marketing like a transaction, you lose the human element. A cheap mindset makes customers feel like just a number, not a valued relationship.
Examples of B2B Companies Doing It Right
Slack: By focusing on customer feedback and offering a freemium model, Slack created a community that helped drive organic growth. Their investment in user relationships has led to their wide success.
Notion: Through consistent customer education, Notion built a loyal following. Their content and community forums show their dedication to user success, not just product promotion.
Miro: Miro focuses on enabling collaboration and innovation, offering webinars, tutorials, and active support to deepen customer relationships.
Take Action:
Invest in high-quality content that speaks directly to your customers’ needs. Don’t just create content that engineering likes.
Focus on the channels where your audience is most engaged to avoid wasting resources. Do actual research, survey and talk to prospects. Don’t just spray and pray.
Prioritize customer education with webinars, tutorials, and thought leadership content. Allow them to self-educate without spamming them to death.
Measure long-term success, such as customer retention and loyalty, rather than just focusing on short-term metrics like impressions and clicks.
Allocate budget for skilled talent—hire marketers who understand relationship-building. Don’t just buy a bunch of tools and think they are automagical.
Invest in Relationships, Not Just Sales Marketing isn’t an expense—it’s an investment in your customers. The companies that thrive are those that understand the value of building strong relationships with their audience. Good marketing costs money, but it results in a loyal customer base, sustainable growth, and long-term success.
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Oloyede @MO MarTech or @MoniOloyede on all social channels.
Huzzah! At the end of the day, quality relationships is what we ALL really want.