Category — General

For the most part, I try to refrain from discussing the economy in our blog posts. We all know the economy is bad and customer spending is down (although recent reports show it’s increasing slowly). However, it does need to be reiterated that even in a down economy, you need to continue with your marketing… and, there are some great reasons to increase your small business marketing now and not wait until the market goes up. I’m just listing three here… if you would like to hear more, contact us at The Envision Agency, Small Business Marketing 800.441.1319.

Now, I do want to stress before we go into these reasons, that we are not suggesting that you increase your marketing budget across the board. At The Envision Agency, we always suggest that you spend money on what’s working and try to improve what is not… and if you can’t improve it, you shut it down. If you are ready to increase your marketing budget we recommend increasing spending on channels that are performing within your expected metrics or trying out new channels that you have not yet tested.

Reason 1: Studies have shown that companies that continue to market during tough economic times often see growth during those times, where businesses that cut their marketing budget will often see a decrease in sales.

Summary of Studies Reported by the American Business Press

Recessionary Periods Studied	Author / Sponsor	Conclusion
1920s recession	Vaile, Harvard Business Review	Biggest sales increases come from companies that increase advertising.
1949, 1954, 1958, 1961 recessions	Buchen Advertising	Companies that cut advertising during recession experience dropped sales and profits.
1970 recession	ABP and Meldrum & Fewsmith	Increased advertising during recession leads to sales or profit advantages (or both) in years following recession.
1974 – 1975 recession	McGraw-Hill	Advertising during recession creates 132% subsequent 5-year sales growth.
Undisclosed recessionary periods	Cahners Publishing Co. and Strategic Planning Institute	Profit Impact of Marketing Strategies (PIMS) database; advertising during recession creates greater market share gains than decreases do, but there is no “statistically significant difference in the level of profitability [ROI]” (as quoted in American Business Press, 1993, p.5).

Source: All studies as summarized, quoted and/or cited in American Business Press (ABP, 1993). ABP changed it’s name to American Business Media in June 2000. For complete report, contact The Envision Agency, Small Business Marketing.

Reason 2: Most companies have decreased or maintained their marketing. That means that there are fewer messages out there for customers and if you have a great campaign, you have an easier chance to break through the clutter. And, that leads me to Reason #3.

Reason 3: Since everyone has decreased their marketing, you have a greater opportunity to get your marketing at a lower cost. And, some marketing channels, such as social media and SEO are extremely cost-effective if you outsource.

The Envision Agency, Small Business Marketing is offering a free marketing plan review and competitive analysis for Arizona Small Businesses. This package typically would cost $370. To take advantage of this great deal, call 602.697.2209 and mention that you saw the offer on The Envision Agency, Small Business Marketing blog. If you’re ready to increase your marketing efforts, or open a new channel, contact us today!

Companies are understanding more that online marketing is an important aspect of their marketing mix. In fact, a recent Forrester Research study found that interactive marketing spending will reach nearly $55 billion by 2014, representing 21% of all marketing spend.

If your company hasn’t already added online marketing to your mix, you are missing out on a world of opportunity. You can see from the Forrester Research study mentioned above, businesses are finding success in online marketing and are continuously increasing their budgets.

For small businesses, online marketing is a great way to gain more customers at a lower cost than traditional media. Even if you have already started some online marketing, you should consider all the aspects such as search engine optimization (SEO), paid search marketing, email marketing, social media marketing, online video marketing, etc. These all have huge potential for small businesses. However, you may face a few challenges when you first try to implement some of these channels.

If you are not the ultimate decision maker, the first challenge you may face when trying to add online marketing to your current marketing mix is achieving buy-in. You’re not alone if you get push-back from many people in your company. Getting buy-in from Upper Management, your Sales Department, and your IT Department is often a challenge when a company wants to add online marketing to their marketing mix. Make sure you are prepared to answer each department’s concerns.

• Upper Management: Focus on how everything is black and white: it’s completely measurable and you can see what is, and is not, working. Also review what your competition is doing. If they are invested in online marketing, you have another reason: to stay competitive, you need to work with this medium.

• Sales Department: Focus on their involvement. Get their input on a prospect profile and keywords. They talk to the customers more than you do and know them better than you.

• IT Department: Focus on how you’re defining success and that they will receive their fair share of success for their help on the channel. Compromise is key, but changes to your website and implementing an analytics platform are two things a consulting company will need to do.

Educating your company on the importance of online marketing is the first thing you need to do to create a successful campaign. In our next blog, we’ll discuss some of the benefits you can see from involving the challengers of online marketing in your implementation process.

If you’re ready to take the plunge into online marketing for your small business, contact The Envision Agency, Small Business Marketing. We’ll review your business goals and current marketing and sales process and identify implement the best opportunities for your company.

I joined the Arizona Business and Professional Women today for their Networking Lunch Roundtable at the Fish Market in Phoenix. If you are looking for a networking group in Phoenix, this is a group of fantastic business people. And, a little known fact, men can also join!

Networking events are a great way for small business owners to connect and develop relationships with people at their level, discuss what problems they may be facing and where they have had success, and potentially get referrals.

If you choose the right networking events, you have the ability to learn about a new product, service, or new sales and marketing strategies. You also have the opportunity to discuss your business and what you’re looking for at greater length.

For example, today Maggi Heiser, an independent Fashion Consultant, spoke about how to “Dress to Express” and feeling comfortable in what you wear to further your success. She’s a great example of a small business owner who used the tools she has available to grow her business.

Are you looking to grow your business in your local market? Contact The Envision Agency, Small Business Marketing, and we can develop local marketing strategies to help you meet your business goals.

Your customers are the most important part of your business and can be the best marketers for you. Make sure you’re treating your customers right and are protecting your customer relationships. Keep reading for four ways to quickly sour a customer relationship.

Value your customers.

You already have them, and they’re very important to you. Let them know that they’re valued and that you appreciate their business. If you have competition going out of business, reassure your customers that you are here to stay. Make sure that you are adding value for your customers. Send them newsletters, cards, coupons – make it about them, not you.

Contact your customers.

It’s easier and less expensive to keep a customer than it is to get a new one. They want information from you – you just need to let them know that it’s there and of value. Develop and grow an email list that will help you maintain constant, valuable contact with your current customer base. Let them know what they’ll be getting and how often – and keep to it. If you promise them weekly newsletters, don’t miss a week… and don’t send them emails once a day!

Listen to your customers.

Customer input is valuable. Let your customers know that you want and need their feedback, listen to and make changes as necessary. In order to keep your client, you may need to go above and beyond their expectations. This will be much easier if you know what the expectations are and how close you are to meeting, or exceeding, them. So talk to your customers, send surveys, and consistently reinforce your commitment to them.

Avoid over-communication.

Don’t send too many emails, call too much, or send too much mail. You want to keep them as a customer, but don’t overdo it. If you’re not sure how much is too much, ask your customers! You can determine how much is too much by looking at response rates and unsubscribe rates for your marketing pieces and see where you get the best return.

As a business owner, you should make sure your company is capitalizing on your current customer base… but you want to make sure you protect them as well. Don’t under or over communicate – and always make sure you’re listening to your customers!

Need help determining the right message and frequency? Contact The Envision Agency, Small Business Marketing for more information on customer protection and let us help you put together a customer retention strategy that will not only help you retain your customers, but build on their experiences to catapult your company to the next level.