Today’s customers are better informed and have greater access to information, so your marketing message is subject to more scrutiny than ever before. At the same time though, you want to make sure you get the maximum bang possible for your buck. Here’s how.
Keep it simple
In business, complexity equals cost. The same applies to marketing.
With so many ways of spending your marketing dollar, it can be tempting to spread your spend very thinly.
My advice is to concentrate your marketing budget on fewer activities and put more time and resources into the management of these campaigns, and track and measure the results. Less is more.
Either skill yourself up or buy in skills
The new marketing channels (social media for example) have opened up fresh and interesting ways of communicating with your target audience.
However, that also means that the chance of spending your marketing dollars in the wrong spot is far greater than ever before.
In order to overcome this, educate yourself as much as possible. I recommend you use the vast resources available on Flying Solo and from government websites such as Business Victoria. Your local council may also be a good place to start.
If your budget allows then consulting with a marketing expert can be well worth your while too.
Master one type of social media
Master one type of social media before moving onto the next, and choose the one that’s most appropriate for your business.
If I had a business in the wedding market, Facebook would be my social media of choice. For those in the consulting or B2B type market, then LinkedIn is worth investing some time and money into.
There are many tools available to help you link the various social media tools, and more emerging all the time. For example, my LinkedIn posts appear in my Twitter account.
Have a monthly marketing calendar
Marketing activity leads to sales, so having a regular calendar of marketing tasks is important.
Just one or two activities may be all it takes to keep your sales funnel full.
I would recommend repeating successful campaigns throughout the year. Having new ideas is also important however make the most of what you have before you move onto to something new.
Free is good but…
I am a fan of free marketing and public relations tools such as SourceBottle, and use them effectively to acquire new clients in my business.
However the fact is that the most effective way to control your marketing message is through advertising. Every business should advertise in some capacity. If you’re not sure what your options are and how this can be achieved in a cost-effective manner, a resource such as Media Scope may be able to assist you. Determine who your target audience is, and go from there.
Has your business changed its marketing methods over the years? We’d be interested in your observations, as well as any tips about which marketing methods work best for you.
“ The most effective way to control your marketing message is through advertising. ”
Jo Macdermott from Next Marketing works with Business Owners in Melbourne who require ongoing Marketing support. If you are a Business Owner with a Marketing budget who is too busy to ‘get around to marketing’ then Jo Macdermott is here to help. Jo specialises in tactical Marketing plans that are pragmatic and make a lot of business sense.
