Marketing, an Expense or Investment?

Many of us might wonder whether to put marketing cost on the expense side of the balance sheet or in the investment side of the cash flow statement. Many of us would also wonder why do we need to do marketing, why we need to promote our products and services or  pay for advertisement? Why not just hire those who have financial or accounting skills only?

Well to my understanding, marketing is the only thing you need when you want people to know that your product exist in the market. I mean, ask yourselves, what is the purpose of your business? Definitely, your business exist to serve people and solve their problems. A hotel online booking is to solve problems with having to drive around town and find out that all hotels in that city are all full. So why do you have to market your product?

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Well, when you set up your company or introduce a new product, how would you expect the customers or potential buyers to learn about your product? Marketing! Even you have the greatest product this world has even needed, without going out there and telling people that 'this product is the best and it is here for all you people, then your product is worthless. It's not only about trying to get people's attention that you are looking for in a business. What you have to realize is that you have to TELL THE RIGHT PEOPLE about your product. You would not expect to be selling your cool newly designed car to a 10-year-old nor you would want to promote your internet business to those who has no access to the internet.

My point is that not only marketing is essential to your business, you got to target the right people. I've heard so many people say 'don't study marketing, it won't make you more money than finance or accounting'. Well! here's where I can safely say, think again! So there you go, whenever you think you have a product, never think marketing will add to your expense, its an investment just like how you invested in the product. You invest your time and money to come up with this product, and you invest your time and money to get product to the market. So don't sit back and think someone is going to come and buy your product because you think it is useful and valuable, they won't know unless you tell them, and you can do that by MARKETING YOUR PRODUCT.