Marketing.
To some in business this is on their list of “bad words”. Mainly because the word itself conjures up images of dollar signs flowing OUT of their budgets, instead of flowing IN.
Marketing, especially in a small town like Leominster tends to get overlooked by most due to the above reason…cost. Newspapers charge an arm and a leg to run ads, and we all know that a one-time ad is about useless; forcing you to want to run ads for weeks, months, even years at a time.
With profit margins and sales in general shrinking, the ability to set aside a certain percentage of profits to dedicate to advertising is a lesson in futility. So what is a business owner to do?
We all want more sales! And most of us don’t have the cash on hand to afford what we believe to be an effective print advertising campaign. Heck, who even reads the papers anymore, and the ones that do are so conditioned to NOT look at ads, chances have it yours won’t get seen!
So what are we supposed to do???? Give up? Let nature take its course and let whatever happens…just happen?
No! In tough times we need to be flexible and open to new ideas. Someone once said the definition of “crazy” is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. So do something different. Remember, this is YOUR business we are talking about. You have put countless hours of blood, sweat and even tears into building this. You have sacrificed family time, missed out on many “fun” opportunities! I have one word for you….F I G H T.
Fight for your business! If what was working no longer is cutting it, try something else. Marketing is the answer, regardless of whether you want to hear it or not. Marketing does not have to cost you a fortune, and there are so many ways to market…only limited by your imagination!
Of course I am a fan of web marketing, so naturally I would choose to maximize my web efforts first and foremost. The cost for a website is so affordable now that not having one makes no sense whatsoever. It can be used to inform and educate your current and potential customers, as well as recruit and qualify new leads for you. The cost is minimal in comparison to the lifetime value of a customer. If your competitors have a website, they are stealing your customers, whether you know it or not!
Adamant that the web is not for you and your business? Ok, how about in-store promotions? Email campaigns? Thought about changing your signage? How about sponsoring a local event?
Have a highly visible store-front? How about doing something remarkable and eye catching with a display? Something that jumps out and grabs attention?
Leominster’s Annual Summer Stroll is coming up this summer, thought about setting up a booth? Where else will you get thousands of LOCAL residents walking into your “store”??? Talk about word-of-mouth!!!
My point here is to think outside of the box. Hell, take the box, stomp it into the dirt, then toss it in the recycle bin. Promoting yourself does not have to cost gobs of cash!! Use your imagination and come up with something that will make you stand out and help spread the word. No one knows your business or has as much passion as you do for it, so get out of your current mindset and go promote yourself!!