Why Brand And Audience Building Is Critical For Growth

I have completely switched my stance on brand building.

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I used to think that growth was all about demand generation, and outbound sales/marketing were the only channels to focus on.

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Now, I see it as a death sentence and a path to lumpy growth, increased spending and all-risk, especially if down-turns in spending happen (as soon as you lower your budgets, you turn off your lead flow, and without a brand, you'll be screwed).

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Brand and audience building is your number one goal.

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Having an audience is king.

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Here are other reasons to support this view:

• SaaS selling is becoming consumerised

• Digital Marketing channels are becoming ineffective

• Constrained attention from users/ buyers and limited marketing channels to access new users create intense pressure. There is a lot on the line

• Digital Marketing channels are expensive

• Digital Marketing with a poor lead conversion process, customer journey and nurture programme will mean you'll waste all that spend

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But how do you scrutinise ROI? Think of it in the anti-sense. What happens if you don't invest? And two things happen.

1) Digital marketing costs increase, and you can't afford to compete

2) You need to cut budgets and can't spend on digital marketing

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See how your demand engine crashes to a halt.

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I would place a bet you wish 12 months prior, that you would have invested in building your brand and audience. It's not too late to start.

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Start now.