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G P S MARKETING - 2

June 2014

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This is the second in a series of the 7 basic fundamental marketing principals that every small business needs to embrace.

Last month we discussed the cost of ignoring your website in terms of adding fresh information to your website on a regular basis, the technical structure, Search Engine Optimization and the evolution of changing technology. You must keep in front of these to maintain your standing in the World Wide Web.

Promotion is an important part of any marketing strategy. You can have the best product or service out there, but unless you promote it successfully, no one will be dialing your number or walking into your store. Now we will take a look at the traditional marketing positions that we see so much of. Some call it Push Marketing.

The second Guiding Principal of Successful Marketing is:

Minimize push marketing tactics. This type of effort is sometimes called megaphone marketing or SHOUTING AT MANY in hopes of attracting a few. Examples of this are print advertising, yellow page advertising, Radio and TV advertising, untargeted banner ads,cold calling and mass email ads.

Notice the active word here is minimize, don't confuse it with eliminate. A print piece is a physical thing. It can hang arround offices and homes for months or years, while Internet ads can disappear into cyber space instantaneously. Moreover, that cold call may be the icing on the cake that turns the prospect into a customer. The best way to market your business is to utilize as many channels as possible to reach every corner of your target demographic; this should not exclude traditional methods.

The digital advertisements are more effective currently because of a fundamental shift in customer behavior. People do not want to be interrupted and megaphone tactics can be an interruption. People are also researching products differently and using internet media to find them.

Placing QR codes on printed pieces is an excellent way to bridge the gap between print and web. When scanned with a Smartphone, the QR code will take your reader to a homepage or a special offer page that lives on the web.

Reuters started reporting a decline in radio advertisements as early as 2007 and that has not stopped. This is largely due to the inability to track the ROI and the cost of the marketing strategy itself. To some degree this is also true of television.

People want to be in control of the information they receive. In push marketing it is the company, not the customer, who is in control. So what do you do? Always remember, LOCAL is king for now. The mom and pop shop on the corner and the restaurant franchise with 250 locations nationwide are both local when the consumer is in the final stages of the purchase cycle. This relates back to the importance of your website mentioned last month. Is your website mobile friendly? Why not get a free consultation today and find out what steps you might want to take.

Push marketing, in whatever form and the concept of local marketing with the integration of mobile marketing do not mix well in a digital world. Businesses need to match their content on a specific device to the types of information consumers most often access through that device in order to guarantee the best conversion rate. PCs, Tablets, and Mobile Phones Each Play a Different Role in the Local Search.

At one time all a business needed to do was place an ad in the phone book. People would find them and call or visit the business. People and the landscape of marketing have both changed significantly in the last few years. The phone book still works as a child's booster seat, but it's losing its effectiveness as an advertising medium. The smart business owner will minimize the concept of Push Marketing.

Check in next month to take a look at Pull marketing strategies and find out how your business can target individuals who are more likely to make a purchase.

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What Is Marketing?

Marketing is the process of communicating the value of a product or service to customers. The objective of marketing is attracting new and repeat customers.The final stage of marketing is the sale.

Marketing can take many forms and has indeed done so over the years. With the advent of new technology, the marketing landscape has changed considerably and the customer has new expectations.The concepts of push Marketing are loosing ground and pull marketing is becoming the new norm.

marketing

Businesses, especially the small business needs to review what they are doing to keep the phone ringing and the doors swinging. SEO, while still important, is taking a back seat to content marketing which we will explore in session 4. We will look at the mobile revolution in session 5 and see how it fits in. Still to come in sessions 6 and 7 will be branding and metric measurements.

Each of these is spread out over a period to allow you to incorporate each into your marketing plan if you wish to do so. You may be doing some of them now and that is great! Keep it up and you will stay in front of your competitors. If you are not using these tools, I urge you to give it some consideration. Ask for a free consultation. It only takes 30 minutes and can be scheduled at your convenience.

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