When you are starting a side hustle, one of the most important things you can do for your business is market. But marketing can get pretty out of control if not planned strategically. The first thing you need to do is make sure your marketing is synergistic with your sales plan. 

Years ago, I worked for an ad agency in San Diego. Out of the blue someone called our office and asked to speak to the media buyer – which was me. I answered the call and it was a local plumber, who serviced commercial buildings and businesses. He wanted to know if we could create an ad for his business to shine on the side of building at night – because he saw this done in Las Vegas the weekend before and thought it was clever. 

So I asked him, “This particular ad would only be seen during evening hours – half of each day, with very little exposure during the middle of the night, correct?”

“Uh, yeah, I guess so,” he replied.

I then asked, “Do you know how many of your prospects – business owners or commercial property managers – drive past this particular building during evening hours to see it?” 

“Um, no,” he said.

“Are there other media outlets that your prospect might consume that isn’t just shown overnight, in one spot in town and has more data we could look at?” I asked. 

“Probably. I’ll call you back.” 

Not surprising, but he never called back. What he thought was a clever marketing tactic was completely out of line for his business and would be a total waste of his marketing dollars. It’s wildly important that your marketing support your sales efforts when you have a side hustle. 

Typically when starting out marketing dollars are sparse,