Marketing is a circle

Marketing should not be viewed as a linear process with a start and an end. Instead, it is a continuous circle that feeds itself.

The circle begins with your initial idea to generate revenue. You invest time, energy, and imagination to attract your first customers. The circle is completed when you have the patronage of repeat and referral customers.

This cyclical view of marketing has several important implications:

• It emphasizes customer retention: The focus shifts from one-off sales to building long-term relationships that lead to repeat business.
• It highlights the importance of referrals: Satisfied customers become a source of new customers, creating a self-sustaining growth loop.
• It reduces marketing costs: As the circle gains momentum, you'll find that you need to invest less in acquiring new customers, as your existing customers are doing much of the work for you.

By viewing marketing as a circle, you naturally concentrate on the things that matter most for long-term success: customer satisfaction, repeat business, and word-of-mouth referrals.