6 Ways to Own (Instead of Rent) Your Reputation
Firms that own their reputation long outlive those that "rent" their revenue. Renters survive by throwing money into advertising. AdWords brings in new clients and Google takes their cut. The advertising works, so they spend more, signaling Google to increase the rent. Costs increase and profit margins shrink. Eventually, the renters who are gobbling up clients are consumed by advertising expenses. The renters fail because they don't own their reputations. They go for the easy money and invest nothing into their brands. They're forced to close shop and another renter moves in to repeat the cycle. You want to own your reputation. You want to create a brand that people gravitate toward without the need (or crushing control) of advertising. This is how you own your brand and succeed without the shackles of AdWords.