Why Your Nephew’s TikTok Videos Won’t Save Your Business, The Case for Real Marketing Expertise

Let’s be honest. Every new business owner thinks they’ve cracked the code.

You've opened a shiny new café or a cool-looking bar, and your first thought is: “No need for marketing help. My friends will come. They’ll post. We’ll go viral!”

Fast forward three months: the tables are empty, the lights are dim, and your “viral” videos have 14 views, 13 of which are from your mum.

Welcome to the real world of marketing.

The Myth of “Friends and Followers”

Many small business owners in Singapore fall for the same illusion, that marketing is sooo easy. That a few random Facebook posts, a trending TikTok dance, and some “soft launch” stories will be enough to bring in the 'crowds'.

Let's be realistic. Brutally realistic Your friends will visit once, take photos of their food, tag your location, and never come back. Their support stops at the “congrats bro!” comment stage. After all that hoohah, all that's left are just you, your bills, and your sad plate of half-eaten truffle fries that you thought your non-existent customers would love. I have personally lost count of the number of times this tragedy has played out over the last 2 decades.

This is where real marketing expertise comes in.

Marketing Is Not About Posts. It’s About Plans.

Marketing isn’t just about posting pictures. It’s about positioning, timing, psychology, data, and strategy.

An experienced marketer knows that a brand launch isn’t a one-week event, it’s a carefully orchestrated sequence. From creating your brand story, to setting up proper SEO, to building campaigns that actually target the right customers, every step is deliberate.

They know when to post, what to say, and who to say it to. They understand that marketing is not “let’s post and see what happens,” but “let’s plan, execute, measure, and adjust.”

Most importantly, they know what works and what doesn't work.

Here are a few studies which you may find all too familiar in today's business climate.

Case Study 1: The Bar With Too Many Friends

Meet “BarLah”, a fictional bar in Tanjong Pagar, opened by three friends from banking who “like to drink, know many people, and also how to pour a beer.”

What was their marketing plan?

A WhatsApp blast, a few Instagram Reels, a Tiktok video and a logo designed in Canva.

Does this sound familiar?

The first week was a hit, the bar was packed with buddies and friends of friends.

But by week three, reality kicked in. The crowd disappeared, the reviews were inconsistent, and the “buzz” was long gone like a bad smell in a Joo Chiat viet bar. Cue the sound of crickets chirping.

Why? Because word-of-mouth works once.

Sustained success needs strategy

If they had engaged an experienced marketer, they’d have known to build a solid loyalty return purchase system, run targeted ads for their desired target audience, create attractive events with feelings of FOMO, and partner with local influencers who could reach real customers, not just friends who would only visit once.

Instead, the bar closed within six months, victims of their own over-confidence and poor planning.

They didn't stop to think, what would help create a place where customers feel like coming consistently?

Case Study 2: The Café That Dared to Hire Help with Marketing

Now meet “Bean & Theory.” The owner, wiser from previous mistakes, hired a marketing consultant before opening. Together, they created a clear identity that could be explained in 10 seconds, a modern café for remote workers offering artisanal coffee and strong Wi-Fi.

They didn’t post randomly. They launched pre-opening teasers, built their Google SEO, ran targeted ads across different platforms, collaborated with micro-influencers, and set up loyalty campaigns.

The result? Full tables, repeat customers, and brand recognition beyond their postcode.

Same industry. Same city. The difference?

Strategy over selfies.

The Harsh Truth: You Pay Peanuts, You Get Monkeys

Here’s the uncomfortable truth, marketing expertise costs money because it works.

You’re not paying for a few Instagram captions or a few random Facebook posts; you’re paying for the years of experience that will help your business avoid costly mistakes.

You pay a little money now to avoid losing big later on. Business Owners need to understand this simple yet important fact of business.

Trying to save a few thousand dollars by doing it yourself is like trying to fix your own car with a hammer and a chainsaw. Sure, you can always try, but don’t be shocked when smoke comes pouring out of the engine.

So, the next time you think, “My nephew can probably do it for free,” ask yourself: does he know audience segmentation? Funnel optimization? Local SEO? Paid ad targeting? Brand positioning? Has he run country-wide ad campaigns across 20 major cities?

The Bottom Line

Marketing is not magic or is it rocket science. It’s method. It’s about connecting your brand to the right audience, with the right message, at the right time.

If you’re starting a new business in Singapore, don’t treat marketing like an afterthought.

Treat it like oxygen, invisible, but absolutely essential.

Because in the end, your nephew’s TikTok videos might make some people laugh. But a marketer’s strategy? That’s what keeps your business alive. Besides, you've already spent $250,000 setting up your cool gastro-bar, why skimp on a few thousand now?