Marketing is . . . Everything You Do

There are three things that I find myself referring to as "everything" in your business: Branding, Marketing , and Processes. As a big advocate of standard operating procedures, it makes sense to say that everything in your business comes down to processes. But what about branding and marketing? 

Well, since I take a very wholistic* view of the world, I believe that every single thing you do contributes to your brand. Take hiring as an example. If the way your people treat your clients is part of your brand (which it is), then training, onboarding, who you hire, how you hire, and even how you advertise for new employees are all part of the chain that results in your employees, and how they treat your clients. 

Marketing is very similar. While marketing is primarily about how you show up publicly (to your prospects), it also touches pretty much every part of your business. This obviously includes your advertising, web site, and employees. But it also reaches into your invoicing, ticket management, and more. Taken to its logical conclusion . . . Marketing is everything you do! 

I am reminded of this perspective frequently when I listen to my weekend podcasts. That's my catchup time. Whether I'm cleaning the house, puttering in the garage, or gardening, I listen to audio books and podcasts. It's the closest I get to multi-tasking. My pod-catcher of choice these days is iHeart Radio.

A truly GREAT example of how you can use the marketing eye to view every aspect of your managed service business is Paul Green's MSP Marketing Podcast. Available on all devices. In addition to "obvious" marketing topics, recent podcasts have addressed hiring technicians, work/life balance, and how owner model behavior for you employees. If you haven't checked out Paul's podcast, today's a good day to give it a listen. 

I particularly like podcasts because, as I finish each episode, it automatically transitions to the previous episode. This makes it easy to just keep listening until I hear something I've heard before. At that point, I'm all caught up and I can move on to the next podcast. 

What are your favorite podcasts (and habits around listening)? I'd love to hear. Drop me a line.