While there is an avalanche of support for connecting with your customers via social media, your Small Business Marketing Tips toolkit should still include print. Jane Applegate, a former syndicated columnist for The Los Angeles Times reminded those
at a forum on “Seamless Marketing: Integrating Your On and Off Line Promotions,” to get back to basics. Here are some of Jane’s thoughts on small business marketing tips for today
As an experienced observer of small-business innovations and marketing trends, author and consultant Jane Applegate has positioned herself as an industry leader by helping companies develop effective communication strategies.
And while acknowledging the impact and importance of social media advances in the new millennium, Applegate also supports a diversified advertising portfolio for small and midsize companies and advocates a mix of traditional and emerging branding techniques.
In other words, digital is dandy, but don’t dismiss the power of print and the value of something as simple as picking up a phone and actually talking to a client.
So many are asking, ‘What do we do now?’ because the marketing and media landscape is changing so dramatically,” said Applegate, founder of multimedia production and consulting company The Applegate Group. “I advise clients to get back to the basics and develop a compelling message, and when appropriate, integrate that with all these fun and groovy social media options.”
For some, that means exploiting free Web-based outlets such as Facebook and Twitter to promote daily specials, limited offers and networking opportunities. For others, catalogs, direct mail and print and broadcast campaigns are just as effective.
The key, Applegate said, is embracing innovation without alienating the audience.
“You have to know who you’re targeting and where they get their information,” Applegate said. “The exciting thing about these multiple channels is that it increases your options for reaching customers. Tailor your message to fit the medium and don’t be afraid to try something new to engage clients.”
I agree that we should still look at the old school methods of small business marketing tips and that integrating with the current trends will help our businesses. Integrating is the key. So work out your message and incorporate into the various marketing channels, but don’t forget that there should also be consistency in the look as well. By that I mean brand images, colours, fonts etc should be as consistent as possible. When customers see the facebook page, print add, google+ page,etc. they should be able to connect the dots in that these different marketing channels belong to your business.
Do you think print still has a place?
My friend Charlene Brisson the 3 step marketing pro talks about the same thing all the time. New media has hit us so quickly that we have become enamored with all the possibilities it has opened up for small businesses. We often forget that they are just tools and the message needs to be created and delivered to where our ideal customer is..they may not even be on the social networks.
So true! It’s on a business by business basis, we really have to know our customers well!
Heya i’m for the first time here. I found this board and I to find It really useful & it helped me out a lot. I hope to provide one thing again and aid others like you helped me.
Thanks, I’m glad you liked it there will be plenty more