If you are like most business owners, you began cutting back on your advertising and marketing expenses in 2008. And since that time, you have seen significant changes in the marketplace — with your customers as well as your competition. Chances are, some of your major competitors have closed their doors.
Fast forward 2011: People are starting to spend again!
Companies we are talking to are finally feeling the need to step up their advertising — whew! We are all cautiously optimistic about the future.
If you have made the decision to take that positive step of investing in marketing, the first thing you need to do is set aside a budget. This is where most companies fail, right out of the starting gate. If you need to know what a reasonable budget would be, those figures are available based on your industry and a percentage of your gross income.
The second thing you should do is update your website. If you do not have one, get one. If you do have one, chances are it is old and outdated. And don’t consider a website a one-time investment. In addition to the initial development costs, plan on investing regularly in updates. Technology is constantly changing, and it is important to stay current. It is also important to have a website developed where you can edit and update information as needed and include interactivity.
Use social media such as Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube … these are all integral marketing tools and can be maintained with a modest budget.
Do not get me wrong. Traditional media is still valuable. But the first thing you need to do is get your online marketing in order. The next step will be to use traditional media (print advertising, radio, and television) to excite and attract your customers to your online presence, where they will learn everything about you that they need to know in order to make their buying decision.
Feel free to give us a call. We would love to help you get started.
June Bisel
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