Marketing is essential
to thriving during
tough times. Why?
Can you provide practical tips and ideas to boost your marketing and sales?
How do you draft an action plan for your business?
How to apply cost effective marketing methods e.g. mobile, email, online and word of mouth
Dale’s Answer to this Question:
This was selected as Best Answer
Janice,
This is a great question that I am sure many non marketing/design
companies have been asking for months. You have already gotten some
great answers from some smart people, but I will add my thoughts as
well.
Marketing needs to be thought of as an investment in the success of
your company – not as an expense. An annual budget should be developed
and it should be looked at as a necessity similar to an internet
connection, a phone line or an email account. Without any of these
items your business will seriously start to lose customers or never be
able to find customers in the first place.
Consistent ongoing marketing should always be done, and it can really kill
the effects of a recession. I’m not saying you will not feel the slow
down at all, but by marketing regularly, you will head out of the
recession quicker then non-marketing companies. You will also keep more
current customers, get new customers that see you are doing well and be
in the minds of prospects that are not ready to move. By hitting
clients and prospects on a regular basis, you are staying in front of
them and hitting them when the need arises.
Even if a prospect likes you and thinks they want to use you, it is
only when the pain that you solve hits that they will be looking again.
Basically, the first person that crosses their path in this time of
need is going to be getting the business. This is a big part of the
reason to market regularly.
The other thing regular marketing does, is it builds brand
awareness. Let’s stay the prospect does not have an immediate need
right now, but a friend says they are in need of your service. If your
mailer, ad, e-mailer just landed on their desk they will remember you
as the fix to this problem.
You do however need to understand your target and how to market
effectively so that you can get the defined results you are looking
for. That is why as others have mentioned you need a business plan
defining the direction you are taking your company and marketing plan,
strategy or plan of attack to launch any campaign.
You will need to understand your (most profitable) customers first
before you choose the medium to use (mobile, email etc.). We have a
program we call the BrandExpand process to help companies go through
and implement such needs. See the links below to learn more about this
stuff.
Best of luck on the campaign of your choice!
Links:
http://www.getbrandwise.com/how-we-do-it/
http://www.getbrandwise.com/branding-blog
http://www.getbrandwise.com
Click here to see the actual posting of this answer and rating.
Dale Berkebile cited as Expert in Sales Techniques and Viral Marketing.
Dale, I couldn’t agree with you more! Wish all my clients understood the value of “being there” for when the need arises.
In addition to promotional products which is my main business, I also sell ad space in a trade newspaper for an industry in the buildings and construction arena. As you can imagine, this year has hit this industry hard. Some of my advertisers report they are 20% or more off in revenues. Ouch! You can imagine what that’s done to advertiser participation.
However, I have had some of them continuously advertising with me for over a decade. In the past two months, I have had three of them report, voluntarily I might add, that they have received inquiries that referred to their ads in the trade paper. Why? Because they were there when a prospect was experiencing, as you put it, pain.
I totally agree, advertising is an investment, an investment in the future.
Again, congratulations on your comments getting mentioned. Keep up the good work!
Dale, I couldn’t agree with you more! Wish all my clients understood the value of “being there” for when the need arises.
In addition to promotional products which is my main business, I also sell ad space in a trade newspaper for an industry in the buildings and construction arena. As you can imagine, this year has hit this industry hard. Some of my advertisers report they are 20% or more off in revenues. Ouch! You can imagine what that’s done to advertiser participation.
However, I have had some of them continuously advertising with me for over a decade. In the past two months, I have had three of them report, voluntarily I might add, that they have received inquiries that referred to their ads in the trade paper. Why? Because they were there when a prospect was experiencing, as you put it, pain.
I totally agree, advertising is an investment, an investment in the future.
Again, congratulations on your comments getting mentioned. Keep up the good work!
Heidi,
Thanks for your feedback on this topic. It is really great to get many people talking about these topics. Obviously there is a group of people out there that only think Brandwise is trying to get more money coming into our own pockets by advising on this ongoing marketing.
Granted we do make some money on this kind of ongoing business, however our main goal is bringing in more sales to our customers.
Marketing of any sort is never a once and done kind of thing. It is an ongoing process that grows over times and if done right gets better and better with time through testing and trial and error.
Just so everyone knows, you need to build some error into the process. Be ok, with error and learn from it. This will make your next campaign that much stronger.
Thanks again for your thoughts Heidi.
Heidi,
Thanks for your feedback on this topic. It is really great to get many people talking about these topics. Obviously there is a group of people out there that only think Brandwise is trying to get more money coming into our own pockets by advising on this ongoing marketing.
Granted we do make some money on this kind of ongoing business, however our main goal is bringing in more sales to our customers.
Marketing of any sort is never a once and done kind of thing. It is an ongoing process that grows over times and if done right gets better and better with time through testing and trial and error.
Just so everyone knows, you need to build some error into the process. Be ok, with error and learn from it. This will make your next campaign that much stronger.
Thanks again for your thoughts Heidi.