The Marketing Company

Are you ‘Just Winging It” When It Comes to Customer Service?

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 14:00:02 GMT

Have you been receiving more complaints lately? Maybe you are finding that the phones aren’t ringing like they used to, or your client base has gone quiet? Maybe it’s because your customer service is on autopilot.

It’s not uncommon for any business to become more focused on the production or the current clients they have and to let the day-to-day interaction fall by the wayside, and while not uncommon it can still be deadly for your business if not addressed.

In today’s electronic world, face-to-face time has become almost obsolete and therefore even more meaningful when it happens. In addition, it is equally important that you understand that customer service is not just when there is face to face interaction but happens throughout the customer experience.

Customer service begins when you receive your first inquiry from a client; how quickly you respond, how much time you spend with the customer on understanding what they need versus you trying to making the sale. It continues in making sure the customer doesn’t have to follow up with you in what is going on, what needs to be done versus you doing the follow up in making sure they don’t sit and wonder and feel the need to make the call.

Remember, customer service is just that, serving the customer in such a way that delivers answers and solutions that produces a relationship of reliability and trust. So much so that they can learn to depend on you to not only deliver but that you have their best interest at heart.

How do you accomplish this? It starts by being intentional in the way you deliver your customer service. Intentional in how you answer the phone; answer emails, think before you send out an email or provide a solution to the customer.

For instance, when communicating make sure you have thought through the entire process before requesting approval. For instance, if you are asking a customer to approve a mailing but don’t have all the costs involved in making a decision you will quickly frustrate the customer by sending out additional emails or making additional phone calls on more information required or have the client see an invoice for more than they anticipated when the job is completed because they weren’t well informed.

Great customer service takes ongoing effort and focus and can become part of your business brand if done intentionally. If left unattended, you could find your customer base and your reputation dwindling.

Don't wing your customer service! If you are looking for a coach in business, call us today at 812-944-7728 or complete a free quote form!

What Should I Know about What Makes my Website Work?

Fri, 25 Nov 2022 14:00:03 GMT

In today’s global competition, the first step in successfully marketing your business, for most businesses, is to have a great website. This means not just having a good-looking site but one that is positioned for easy use by your customers and can be found when searching for the products or services you offer.

A fluid and working website is an important element in being able to start positioning your company to incorporate more customers and better methods of business.

Over 85% of people have already checked you out via the internet BEFORE they ever decide to contact you; If they decide to contact you. This means that just having a website is not enough.

Once again, positioning your company shows consumers what makes you different, this is crucial for people wanting to contact you.

Secondly, remember when you take the step to have your website designed, that the ease of navigation from the consumers eyes is what is most important. Your website is for the customer not for you so it is important that the customer can find what they are looking for quickly and easily.

Next is the importance of working with someone that works in and understands search engine optimization or SEO. This not only means understanding the importance of selecting the right page headings but also the right sub-heads and how to maximize the body copy in such a way that doesn’t get you in trouble with Google and other search engines.

Finally, including programmed elements into your website, including social media links and back-links are crucial in getting your site found through search engines. This also means knowing your audience well enough to use terms that can help you be found such as a geographic location or locations as well as similar product types or services. Remember that select phrases that are used are also key words that can be searched so take time and help the person or company you are working with better understand what and who you want to find you and what you want them to do once they get to your site.

Finally, make sure you add an analytics program to your site such as Google Analytics. Analytics help track your efforts, if you do any SEO work as well, you better understand how people are finding you, where they are, what pages they are most interested in and so on. Such information will help you and those you work with, make your site better and therefore bring more people to your door.

Is your website working how it should? Are you unsure? Call us today at 812-944-7728 or complete our free quote form now!

Does Your Marketing Budget Match your Goals and Objectives?

Thu, 17 Nov 2022 14:00:02 GMT

There are always three things that still amaze me when I come into a business consulting job and look at a company that should be thriving but it’s not.

First, it is usually because there has been very little thought into making people aware that your business exists. Positioning has always been a key for any business to survive. Positioning means that you have made efforts to be on the list of the top three in awareness when someone wants what you offer, such as I need a plumber, I want steak for dinner, I want to be entertained, where do I go?

This lack of effort means that you are relying on your location or the traffic patterns to make people pull off or stop to do business with you, something that time and time again most businesses find it is not enough. Having a marketing plan and an investment as part of that plan to let people know you exist and can provided the solution to their needs or wants is crucial, especially in a world where most of us receive over 30,000 messages a day.

Secondly, if the business does have a plan and budget, it is being used at the wrong times. For instance, almost, if not always, is there a business cycle; a cycle when they are busier than other times of the year. What I have often seen, is that the marketing budget is being invested on more of an emotional basis. What I mean by this is that when times are good businesses tend to drop back on the marketing investment and when times or bad, they tend to increase their investment.

What happens is we hurt ourselves by using our cash at a time when our cash flow is struggling and hoard our cash when times are good? It is better to invest when people want what we have or offer and make the mountain peaks grow and when doing so you will see those valleys, or slow times, get better also.

Finally, it is important to know what your margins are. The cost of providing goods and services is always changing yet many businesses keep the same prices throughout. That is fine if you are working on reducing your cost of goods and maintaining your profit margin but in many of the businesses we have consulted with, we find that they don’t know what or even how to establish a profit margin for their business.

As a that has survived many obstacles over the forty years and has helped many businesses and non-profits continue to exist and succeed knowing and understanding the three principles in this article are crucial in taking the steps to stay and grow in business. These are tried and tested and will help your business succeed too.

Are you ready to get started creating your marketing budget? Contact us today with our free quote form or call us at 812-944-7728.

Content Marketing Mistakes

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 12:00:01 GMT

In today’s industry, there are a plethora of outlets that a consumer can choose from when deciding to buy a product or service, but how do you make sure they choose you in their buying decision? Consumers have the ability now to look up whatever and whenever they want via the internet; meaning if they look at your social media pages or read your company blog, you want to make sure that they have all the information they need to help their decision or answer any questions that may arise from your product or service. In the marketing realm, we call this content marketing. With just the right content marketing, you can attract consumers to choose you when they think of a certain product or service that you offer, but if the content in your marketing efforts isn’t done correctly then you’re left with a full inventory and empty pockets. To avoid this, here are four common mistakes that a company can make in content marketing:

1. Distinctive Content is about the consumer NOT your company.

Think about the last time you bought a car as a consumer; did you look on the company’s website, blog, or social media outlets to read about how many cars they’ve sold in the last month or who their best employee is to help you make your buying decision? No, of course not. As a consumer, you cared more about the features of a car, the reliability of the car, other customer reviews of the car, etc., but not one of those factors is a factor about the company itself. At the end of the day, it’s about what your company can offer and not what your company is about.

No matter what market you target, all consumers have particular interests; it’s your job as a company to pinpoint those interests and use them to your advantage.

With the help of your marketing team, do the research to get to know your consumers and what they are interested in before any of the content writing takes place.

2. WRITE IT DOWN!

According to the 2015 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, only 35% of marketers make a schedule of their content and write it down in advance; 60% of those same marketers claim that their content marketing had higher efficiency.

So many possible things could go wrong if you don’t write down a content schedule; you could either forget to post one day or forget what you were going to write about or even worse, you could compose poor quality content because you were in a rush to meet a deadline. Take the extra time to write it down in advance. We promise you that it will be worth it and make your life 10x easier.

Does Everyone Really Know Your Name?

Fri, 28 Oct 2022 12:30:01 GMT

For many businesses, especially those that have been in business for ten or more years, there sometimes develops a complacency that results in the wrong thinking that you don’t have to do as much or work as hard in getting your name out because everyone knows your name. They know you are here, the same place you have been for the past ten, twenty, or thirty years; right?

The answer to that question is No. Just because you have been in existence for a long time doesn’t automatically get you out of continuing to invest in marketing your business. Yet, we see it every day, businesses that gradually invest less and less into their marketing efforts because they are under the false feeling they don’t have to. The fact is that all markets shift year after year, some statistics say as much as 20% per year. Customers move, they move in and they die so our market changes, all the time. What makes it worse, if they do have a website, it hasn’t been updated, and to make matters worse, no programming has been placed on the website that will help, those searching, find you among the clutter on the world wide web.

Why is a website important? Because over 85% of all businesses are vetted through the use of the internet before they decide to make the call. So, if your website is not current, and doesn’t give the impression that you know what you are doing or that you even care about what the customer searching thinks then you probably won’t get a call.

In addition, what do you know about the customers that are already doing business with you? When did they start doing business with you, what type of service do they use or purchase do they make, and how often? Why do they stay with you? In today’s world, being able to know and understand the profile of your customers is a wealth of information in being able to target those customers to do more business, get referrals from them, and know where more customers are like them.

The fact is that while the basic job of brand marketing and positioning your business to be in the top three in brand recognition has not changed nor has the need to continue to invest in marketing; the opportunities to invest have dramatically changed.

We are all being bombarded with messages from all different angles, at home, at the workplace; on our desktops, and on our phones it’s constant. Don’t forget what you had to do to get where you are, build your name recognition, and realize the cost if you stop. It doesn’t have to be expensive but it does have to be consistent.

Where Does Your Website and Social Media Fit into Your Marketing Efforts?

Tue, 18 Oct 2022 12:30:04 GMT

If there has been anything that we have learned in the last few years it is that having a strong, well-programmed website and a well-planned and consistent social media strategy is crucial to surviving unanticipated hard times.

In today’s marketing world, marketing efforts begin with a well-developed website and consistent social media effort. In regards to the website, it is not enough just to have a pretty, well-designed site but responsive one (can be viewed on all platforms, iPad and Mobile) but also programmed for success. You can have a well-designed website but it will not perform well if it does not have the programming installed properly to help people find you.

How important is your website? Recent research states that over 85% of potential customers have already reviewed your website before they decide to call or email you. How adequate your website is in stating what you do, what makes you unique, and how easy it is to reach out to you will determine if that call is ever made.

In addition, we are amazed at how many sites we review that do not have any type of analytics installed, or if they are available, they have never been used. Like any electronic marketing effort today, the availability of analytics helps you to understand and plan better use of your website if it is in the hands of someone that can help or show you how to use it.

What about your social media? Social Media is an extended component of your marketing efforts and your website. People can find out more information about you by clicking on your social media via your website as well as your social efforts pointing potential customers back to your website. Like your website, social beings with it tracking information that can help you plan and build stronger content in expanding your audience as well as response. Most importantly, developing a management plan and timetable/calendar to develop content in advance brings consistency to your marketing efforts which is the “magic” in all marketing efforts.

As we have experienced in recent years, while traditional media may have been suspended or even canceled, the burden of potential customers has fallen on the business's website and social and either highlighting these types of marketing efforts or showing their weakness.

Going forward, the emphasis on having a strong, well-programmed, and developed website will continue to grow in importance along with maintaining a well-thought-out and consistent social media plan. It has become and is the very foundation of any marketing efforts for anyone wanting to be in business. It is the new calling card, and as such, needs to be dealt with in importance and not short-changed if you want your business to have a chance to succeed. While there are extended elements that also need to be considered in both the web positioning using PPC or SEO and allocating more resources to include more video content and boost budgets, we will address that at another time.

Have a question? Call the Marketing Company at 812-944-7728.

Now is the Time to Develop Your 2023 Marketing Plan

Fri, 14 Oct 2022 13:00:03 GMT

Consider these four points when developing your 2023 marketing plan.

While it has been a crazy and frustrating year for many businesses, there are still many businesses that have navigated through this year because they already had a plan in place. Having a marketing plan and budget established going into the new year puts you in a better position than your competition because while they are winging it and trying different things, you can spend your efforts carefully adjusting your goals and tactics. The development of marketing helps you keep your brand consistent, especially in uncertain times. Much like a ship navigating treacherous waters and storms, the ship can stay on course and reach its destination because it chartered (or planned) the trip in advance.

That’s a big advantage! So, if your business is a little slow right now, or you just want a better year, invest your time in developing a plan and budget for the next year using the following steps.

Step One- Review all elements of your efforts this year and look at what worked and what didn’t. Pull out all marketing material you used for social media, your website, and any printed material you may have used, and see if they all point to you as a company; or as a brand. Is it consistent or are the look and styles being sent out to customers somewhat confusing and inconsistent? If they are all consistent then ask yourself if the look and message will continue to work in 2023 or does it need freshening up.

Step Two- Look at your customer base. Did it grow, shrink, or did it remain stable? Where are your customers coming from? How are they finding you? What consistencies do they bring? Are your customers similar in the type of industry? Is your revenue too weighted to one type of customer or industry? If so, consider areas that you could diversify and make your offering more appealing to a broader base of potential customers.

Step Three- Look at the budget you allocated and how it was invested. Review all the analytics that are available to you on your social media as well as your website. In looking at your social, pay close attention to your engagements. Review those posts that achieved a high level of engagement and what they have in common. Was it a content-driven, video-driven, topic? Having this information will allow you to plan more effective content going into 2023. Reviewing your web traffic is also a crucial element in knowing what pages are of most interest to customers' search efforts, how long they are spending on your website, knowing how effective your social is in driving traffic to your website as well knowing what terms people are using in their search efforts and where they are located.

Step Four- Set your goals and objectives. Developing a plan without an outcome or destination is like getting in your car and just driving. Any direction taken will get you there (wherever that is). Whether you set your goals based on a percentage of revenue increase, a number of customers, or building up selected areas of your business; establishing goals and objectives that can be tracked will be key to tracking the success of your efforts.

Conducting these four simple steps will help you to go into planning and budgeting your marketing efforts as well as help you build on experience. Taking steps like this, year after year, will not only help you get better at growing your business but also protect you during uncharted times as we have seen in the last few years.

Have questions? Need more information or help planning your marketing for next year? Give us a call at 812-944-7728.

Is Social Media all I need in Today's Market?

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 14:00:00 GMT

As social media continues to expand, the number of potential channels also continues to grow leaving customers questioning just what channels work best for them. Much like choosing network television before the addition of cable businesses are faced to needing more knowledge and expertise to successfully get a return on the social efforts. In fact, some social media users have even abandoned their website for search through social. While this may make sense for a few, for most it does not. Today’s social media, while an important selection in your marketing mix is not a one stop solution for all your marketing efforts. To put things in prospective, much like the internet and the push for websites to be responsive for smartphones, statistics still show that the majority of people still access the internet via their desktop.

What this means, at least for now, is that social media should be treated as a new part of your marketing mix and therefor treated as any other part of your marketing media. This means it should be considered an active part of your SEO efforts for your web site. It also means that it fit into the rest of your marketing mix in your message and your offerings. Finally, it also means that it should be a part of your marketing plan ad therefor planned out and tracked.

I am amazed that while many people I talk to insist on developing an ROI for all of their marketing efforts there has been little effort or accountability in regards to social media. The good thing is that, in most cases, social does provide analytics but someone still needs to pull the reports and track any success, whether that is considered increasing Likes or Followers.

For us here at The Marketing Company, increasing the number of Shares is what is most important when managing social media. After all, it is called Social Media Networking so the key work here is networking. That only happens successfully when people share it with their friends.

Finally, while social media tends to be viewed as a Free, no cost media offering effective results happen when there is time and effort invested. For instance, while many people to tend to post video or messages as a reaction, planned, well thought out messaging, whether video, picture or text best happens when it is well thought out and planned as part of the overall media mix. That’s why we focus on developing a quarterly calendar for our clients with messages, offers etc that can be approved in advance and then scheduled. Once that quarter is scheduled we begin working on the next quarter providing a consistency to our marketing messages that is coordinated and supporting all our other media efforts.

Want to get more out of your social media efforts? Take it more seriously, take time to plan and make sure it is in line and supports all of your other marketing messages in other media. Most importantly, make sure you begin to track your efforts to see that your time and effort is providing a return. Contact us today to get started building your social media and building your brand!

Is Developing your Brand Really that Important?

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 14:00:05 GMT

In today’s ever increasing global economy, the importance in developing a strong brand has never been more important. Just think about it, a strong brand, once established and positioned well, can reduce your overall marketing investment. That’s right, reduce it. In almost every client we have worked with over the past thirty-five years, after the first two to three years of intentionally investing in all elements of the brand and revenues continuing to grow there becomes less a need to raising the marketing investment thereby reducing the percentage of gross revenue allocated to marketing; unless you are moving into a new market where your brand is not as well known.

In addition, building a strong brand means build something that people can come to trust, rely and find a comfort in purchasing or partnering requiring a lot less strain on the selling (or convincing) process. But make no mistake, developing a strong brand does not just happen; it takes a great deal of effort to begin and a continued effort to make sure that your initial investment is not waisted. In addition, as I have said in previous articles regarding brand development, it relies on a great deal of commitment from the inside.

For instance, I have a client, that while we have been working together for over twenty years, I am back with his staff in three locations conducting customer service training; what it is, how it has changed and how to be better at it. This is a business owner that knows that building a brand is intentional and it begins with the people that represent the brand every day; his team. That doesn’t mean they don’t know what to do or aren’t doing t well but that he recognizes he has new people on staff, and that those that have been on staff for awhile need to be reminded as to the importance of this area in maintaining and supporting this element of the brand itself.

Building a successful brand also brings value. Our company has always understood that even if the company has no plans in ever selling, it is our job to help them build such a strong brand that if approached the company will get top dollar because of the value it brings to the market. After all, all businesses and industries change so why even think about starting a business that is has no plans in growing in value?

So, if you haven’t spent any time developing your brand maybe you should start. If not, ask yourself what are you building? If it is just about making an income, you may find that for the long haul, that wont be enough.

When to Consider Outsourcing your Marketing

Wed, 07 Sep 2022 14:02:07 GMT

Let’s face it, outsourcing your marketing has been an option for a long time and while some have embraced it, others still want to keep things ‘in-house’ so they can feel in control. If this is you then consider what control may be costing you as well as how you can maintain control when outsourcing.

When it comes to your marketing investment, there is a time when bringing someone in full-time makes sense, such as looking at the long term and anticipated growth. But realize, there is a cost in building an internal marketing department. On the one hand, if you hire expertise or someone that can hit the ground running there is a higher cost. This doesn’t just include the space they will require, benefits package, time off and so on. Also, in most cases, the individual you hire will still not be able to perform all the elements needed and will need to seek an outsource to help get the job done. If you hire a person straight out of college, even with a degree, they will not only require all the elements in hiring an experienced person but then they will need time to get up to speed on your product and services; which we have found can take up to eighteen to twenty four months.

In another scenario, you may be a marketing director that as taken the business to the next level but in doing so find yourself spending more time in managing what you created than in having time to continue to create; or, it could be you have the ideas, but no help to execute those ideas.

So when does it make sense to outsource? First of all, take time to identify what you really need and how long. Developing a specific list of what services you want and what type of relationship you want is the first step n finding and hiring an outsource successfully. Secondly, look for a trusted partner. The outsource you select should have a track record of partnering with other companies or organizations over a period of time. If you see a great deal of short term projects make sure you check out a few of these projects to see if the outsource would be a good fit. Most importantly make sure the outsource you select has your back and will be accountable for the process, start to finish. This means them standing by what they do even when that means they might have to eat some or all of the cost when they make a mistake. Without that type of willingness, there is no partnership.

Finally, give it time. Developing a relationship, whether an outsource or in-house, takes time to get to know one another. Of course, if the same problems or mistakes continue to happen you may have no recourse then to stop the relationship.

Does outsourcing work? Well, as a small company that is an outsource to many companies in the region, we outsource. We have a number of outsources that we have developed and have been with us for over twenty years and all of it to be able to provide our customers the tested expertise they need and when they need it without having to take additional risks.

At the end of the day it still remains to be able to provide what the customer needs when they need it. We have found that our customers don’t really care if we do everything in house, only that we, as their partner, can provide what they need and when they need it as well as knowing that if anything goes wrong, we will stand behind it and fix it. Contact us today and let's get started on perfecting your marketing strategies.

Which Media Works Best?

Tue, 30 Aug 2022 11:00:25 GMT

After forty years in the marketing business the number one question that I still get asked is “Which media gets the best results.” The answer is always the same- “All of them.”

No way, you say- but it’s true, all media works if purchased for the right reasons, the right target audience, the right offer, delivered at the right time and in a creative way and the message is given time to work.

Sound complicated? That’s because it is. There is more to choosing a media, making a deal, developing a message and then placing an ad and waiting for the phones to start ringing. For the most part, one of the biggest failures in any advertising media selection is in the companies expectations. Expectations that say I will run an ad once, invest two hundred dollars and I will triple my return on investment.

Realize what the entire marketing effort entails. What we are really trying to do is get into the buyers head in such a way that when they decide to buy, the product or service they will choose will be yours. Have you ever wondered why most media representatives try to sell you an 8 week to 13-week schedule? Yes, part of it is they will make more money, however a bigger reason is that the potential for success increases with a higher frequency- the number of times a reader or listener will see or hear your advertisement. Let’s face it, with all the variations of messages all trying to get our attention at the same time which one are you going to listen to? The answer- the one that is creative and most consistent.

Effective marketing is complex because you are trying to get a buyers attention, in and among all of the other messages they have to sift through to be able to remember your name. The long term issue becomes one of positioning your brand name or product in such a way that your customers will have you on a short list. If they need this product or service will your company be on the short list?

Bottom Line: Don’t plan in a rush or expect miracles each time you place an ad. Know your target audience, promise only what you can deliver, give it a chance to work (minimum of six to eight weeks) and stay within budget. In many cases, most offers can be tracked and a pro forma developed as to how many widgets or how much service will need to be sold to break-even. Why focus on first getting your money back? If you focus first on getting your investment back so you can invest those same funds again and again not on striking it rich, you may find you can stretch your marketing dollars further and make them more effective. Finally, know your sales cycles. I am always amazed at the number of companies whose marketing dollars are spent at a time when no one is buying.

Establish a marketing budget that matches up with your sales cycles. Everyone wants to focus on bringing the valley’s up, yet it is so much easier on building your peaks and watching the valley rise with it. Simply put, market to your customers when they are in the mood to buy, it just makes better sense and more importantly it will help make the media you purchase more effective.

Are you ready to get started with media strategies for your business ? Call us today at 812.944.7728 .

That Moment When You Stop Advertising and Start Marketing!

Tue, 16 Aug 2022 11:00:00 GMT

I told a prospect this many years ago and while it took several years for them to comprehend what I meant by this, when they did they called me and twenty years later we are still have a successful partnership.

You see, what many people do today is advertise their business and call it marketing but advertising is not marketing. Advertising is part of marketing but it is not in itself marketing.

Marketing includes many elements all working together, internally and externally to build consistency in building trust, confidence and a brand position that people know and understand what it stands for and the value it brings when making a buying decision.

It can be complicated in the planning, the communications and the execution especially in navigating the internal and external execution elements moving and fresh while also tracking results that all stay within an established investment or budget.

Many of today’s smaller advertising companies what to make you feel that all you have to do is post things on social media, or tap into the right affluent data base and just like that, everything magically works.

However, the act is that such an approach, while it more work for a few, does not work for most because the audience itself is much more complicated in how they make their decisions when making a purchase of any kind.

So while establishing an advertising plan, which mainly might consist of purchasing media, both traditional and electronic and planning creative concepts and ways to get the message out; marketing is so much more.

Marketing includes the internal and many times more difficult efforts of getting your internal customers, your employees, to buy in to what you are promising to your customers. Marketing brings to the table such efforts as retention of customers and not just gaining new ones. Using the customer data base to build brand referrals or gather information on how to be better. Marketing is looking and tracking trend lines, results and patterns that could provide information of how to increase the value of the product or service. Finally marketing, if fully embraced at the corporate level, helps you better understand the type of people you need to bring on board and retain to build a successful brand or business brand.

So, are you marketing or just advertising? Investment in your marketing efforts will produce a greater return long term because it is a more comprehensive approach and if you need help in making that transition we would love to partner with you.

When you are ready to stop advertising and start marketing- give us a call. We are The Marketing Company!

Put a Little Cause in your Marketing Efforts!

Wed, 10 Aug 2022 13:00:05 GMT

Over the past two years, many of us that own small businesses have had our noses so close to the “survival grind wheel” that it has been hard to look up and out into the future.

But looking out to the future we must. None of us that have been in business more than five years, succeeded by focusing on just today but planning for the future; what we need, how can we build more relationships, more sales.

One of the industry sectors that have been hit hardest by the economy has been the not-for-profits. Most of the ones that I work with run on scant budgets, dependent on grants or funds that can fluctuate year to year depending who is in office and the shape the economy is in.

Now what does all this have to do with putting a little cause into your marketing?

Cause marketing has been around for over two decades and continues to grow. Cause marketing is simply a partnership with a for profit business with a not for profit business. It’s a partnership that helps organizations in an area or regions that have no marketing budget but rely on the help and money of those individuals or businesses that have been, many times, touched by the organizations focus.

Such organizations in our area as Kosair Children’s Foundation, Home of the Innocents,

The Fight against Breast Cancer, Alzheimer’s or Leukemia are examples of causes that local and national businesses have joined in cause marketing efforts. These organizations and many more like Interfaith Community Council, Rauch, Inc. Personnel Counseling are all in need of local businesses partnering with them to raise awareness and dollars to help them provide the services to their clients as well as, in many cases, continue to exist.

Finding a place in your yearly marketing efforts for Cause marketing will not only benefit the not for profit and the people they serve but has clearly shown a positive impact on increasing the awareness, and perception of your business. It’s a “giving back” to community services that the public recognizes; an extra effort, away from the direct selling of product and services but one that tells an even deeper story of the company’s brand.

Finally, when considering cause marketing, take the time to choose a partnership that is closest to your mission or vision of leadership within the community. Choose something,

that you can get passionate about. It will help drive the effort and will make the journey a more enjoyable one.

So how do you get started in developing a Cause Marketing Campaign? Here are a few simple steps to get started.

Select a “Cause.” This could be an organization, an annual event, a collection; something that makes sense for your community and your business. It should also be something that you can be passionate about. Being passionate usually helps keep you involved.
Meet with the “cause” to discuss how you can best partner together. Make sure your partners also include your employees; something they can also get passionate about.
Develop a plan. One that is in writing and lays out what each party will do to help the other in being successful. Also determine if this is a one time effort or will become an annual event.
Identify the marketing and communications aspects of the campaign. What material will you need, how will it be distributed, what media will be involved and can any of the media be a partner in getting the word out? Don’t expect this effort will be without cost but don’t forget the use of social media in your plans either.
Finally, as your plan unfolds, don’t forget to communicate your progress and make a big deal of the effort and the results. If you are diligent about this campaign, it will be something that builds in awareness and success each year.

I know this is a little bit different from the articles I have written in past issues, but it is one that I feel could benefit both the not for profits and for profit clients and the customers and clients of both. So what do you say? Think about adding some “cause” into your marketing efforts this year. I know you’ll find it both rewarding and profitable.

USED 7/2022

True Branding Begins on the Inside!

Thu, 28 Jul 2022 13:00:03 GMT

Over twenty-eight years ago I started a branding firm. A company whose marketing efforts for clients began at the very core of what help makes companies viable and long standing. The focus on brand today has now become a popular word for ad agencies and media companies to toss around. A word that can be added to the product or service offerings performed. In many of these cases the word branding just means more production- something that many ad agencies continue to place their primary focus.

But successful branding is not as easy as the production of a logo, a clever slogan or even a nice brochure- successful branding begins and is maintained from the inside out. It’s not easy, in fact it takes a great deal of hard work, time and thought to make this happen successfully; but the rewards, especially in an economy such as what we have today, can be invaluable.

Bottom Line: Successful branding begins with taking the time to plan- not just talk or develop ideas in your head but putting them on paper in a written business plan. Successful branding continues with being able to offer uniqueness to those you have targeted to serve- clients/customers. Successful branding is being true to that brand- even in the most difficult times but finding a way to be flexible and expand the reach of your brand without changing it. Finally, successful branding is involving the day to day operations, structures, procedures and training of staff to insure what you have promised your audience will happen.

Having trouble establishing your brand? Think inside out, it works and it will last

Is Traditional Advertising Dead?

Tue, 12 Jul 2022 13:30:01 GMT

The internet is full today of discussion groups either downplaying the importance of using social media as a marketing tool and proclaiming the death of traditional advertising. While the growth of social media cannot be denied, it is a bit early to write an inscription on the tomb stone of traditional media. This can be seen in many industries from banking to manufacturing and much of has to do with the knowing and targeting of potential customer bases. Baby Boomers, for instance, still control a large portion of the wealth and purchasing power and are still a strong component of our economy to recover.

Yet statistics show that in many cases recently, they are being left out of the marketing mix. Social Media, in itself, while growing rapidly is still in its infancy and is a different type of media altogether, requiring a slightly different approach from using just a straight offer or message. It is, after all, a social media- implying the ability to build relationships; not direct sales.

Bottom Line: Based on your target audience traditional media is still very viable

and useful and should continue to be an important part of your marketing mix. However, if you have not started using any of the social media out there you should start now. If nothing else join a network and join in discussion groups to see how it works. There is still time to learn much from this new media and what it can bring to your marketing efforts, meanwhile the use of traditional media can still produce a strong return on investments.

Fundamentals in Marketing: Part 4/4

Wed, 29 Jun 2022 20:28:22 GMT

Get on Your Customer's Level.

If you are just starting out, make sure you are keeping track of your customer base. If you can’t afford CRM (customer relationship management) software, use an excel spread sheet or something that you can record the customer’s name, address, phone number and email address.

If you’ve been in business for a while and you have such a base - use it! Send out a thank you to those that have visited and purchased a product or service from your business. Send out offers, ask for input of how you can better serve them, but stay in touch with them. Why? I will give you one example - we have a client that had over 7,000 customers in his data base. When I asked him what he was doing with that database he asked me, “what should I be doing with it?” We developed a plan and thought process to begin regularly (part of our plan) send something out to this base. The results of this was that several years later, that data base is now approaching 40,000. Better yet, he is the same that knows that over 45% of his month-to-month business comes from referrals from this data base.

Marketing really works but only if you put a value on it and put time and energy in making it work. As the old saying goes, “you get what you pay for,” so if you don’t place any value on marketing your business and think you can just wing it, you’ll get what you paid for!

Since 1982 we have used these fundamental truths effectively and today, through technology and our experience, we serve clients all over the United States. It works! Are you ready to make these fundamentals work for you? Contact The Marketing Company today!

Fundamentals in Marketing: Part 3/4

Wed, 29 Jun 2022 20:28:14 GMT

Have a Plan and a Budget!

Whether you just opened your business or have been in business for a while, developing a plan and a budget to execute that plan effectively is another fundamental that needs to be included.

Successful marketing doesn’t happen by accident - it happens through consistency! By consistently pushing out your brand and monitoring your marketing success, you are providing yourself proof that your marketing efforts are paying off and helps you better stick to your plan.

When developing your business, you should make sure to set aside time and resources for a marketing plan. This will save you time in the future, by making sure you are investing in the correct forms of media and marketing.

Much of today’s marketing is done through social media with little thought in content development before it is posted. No consideration on the using searchable terms that can be picked by people searching for their product and no consideration or follow-up on the website they are sending people to.

No plan - no budget!

Do you need help developing your plan or budget? Contact The Marketing Company today!

Fundamentals in Marketing: Part 2/4

Thu, 19 May 2022 16:00:06 GMT

Don't Rely on Location Alone!

Time after time I see new businesses open on a heavily traveled street. The business owner(s) get their name in the local paper, have a ribbon cutting ceremony for their grand opening and that’s it. Because they’re located in a high-traffic area, they base all of their marketing on the cars passing by.

Unfortunately, that’s not enough to keep a business running. Basic fundamentals in marketing will tell you that positioning has always been a key component of having a successful business. What mean by this is that when someone wants what you are offering, are you on the customers short list to being considered?

Everyone has a short list of products and services, these are the first places and people that come to mind for everything they need, from food to a handyman to marketing. When they want fast food they may think of McDonalds, Taco Bell or Wendy’s. If they need to start a home improvement project, maybe it’s Home Depot or Lowe’s. These businesses got to that list and stay there because they practice the basic fundamentals of marketing by staying out in front of their audience.

Regardless of whether these common short-list businesses are using traditional media like television and radio, have a strong website and are active on social media - they stay in front of their audience. Are you ready to get your business ahead of your audience? Contact The Marketing Company today to get started.

Fundamentals in Marketing: Part 1/4

Thu, 05 May 2022 15:04:52 GMT

Start at the Beginning!

When it comes to success, whether in sports or marketing, the fundamentals can still take you a long way. Why is this? Like sports, people think they have the talent, expertise or are in the right position to by-pass them. Statistics will say that is all wrong!

For the next few weeks, we are going to explore the fundamentals of marketing that you should know when using marketing in your business.

Start at the beginning - know who you are, who you will compete with and where you fit in the market place!

Starting a business must be more than a passion you have or something, you, or others, tell you, you do well or are gifted at. Take the extra time to think through every aspect of your new business. Ask yourself these three questions:

1) Who and what “really” is my business?

2) Who will I be competing against? How do they position themselves in the market?

3) Where will I fit in the options offered to customers? How will my business be unique?

All of this sounds like a lot of work, and it can be if you do it correctly. Being armed with this list of basic fundamentals will give you the resources necessary to take action and make better decisions with a quick response that can reinforce your business or tear it down.

For 40 years, The Marketing Company has helped businesses understand and learn the basic fundamentals of marketing. Are you ready to learn more? Contact us today!

40 Years in Marketing

Mon, 02 May 2022 17:40:43 GMT

40 Years - What a Ride!

I love hearing stories of how others have started their businesses. What made them want to start a business, what drove them and what keeps them motivated every day to come back and open the doors again.

Our story began in 1982. We had helped four struggling businesses come out of the depths of bad decision-making, wrong pricing and positioning and place them on solid ground and into profitable waters. The thought began to take root that maybe I should do this for myself. It wasn’t, however, until directing the fifth business into major growth that I knew it was time to give it a shot.

That was 40 years ago.

Over the last four decades, I have had the honor of working with some of the most talented and gifted people, all of which were willing to take a chance on this long-haired musician with a passion for marketing. They were willing to invest their time and money in allowing me to help them to grow.

The past 40 years has been full of ongoing friendships, frustrations, hiccups and bumps along the way, but the passion and belief in what I do, how it works, and the difference it can make is still what drives me. In fact, my wife and Chief Financial Officer, Donna has always said, “You think marketing will fix anything,” to which I reply, “not everything but if you are in business and people don’t know you exist, it will fix a lot.”

So, what’s in store for the future? Who knows! When I started this business, I was a graphic designer but computers weren’t around. Today, nearly everything we do is with a computer and the messages we send out go well beyond traditional print and broadcast to social and digital. It’s crazy and I love it but the one thing that hasn’t changed is the principles and purpose of what we do.

Yes, many of the tools of marketing have changed but our drive to communicate effectively to people on a daily basis hasn’t. It’s that change that brings me back every day. If you’re ready to get started with your marketing and are looking for an experienced company, request your free quote with us today at marketingcompany.com.

What is Retargeting?

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 19:22:12 GMT

What is Retargeting and how can it help?

Retargeting is essentially following a consumer after they leave your website and dropping information about your business or website in front of them. You have probably seen this before or even experienced it. You visit a website but don’t do very much clicking around. Before you know it, you are on an entirely different site and an ad pops up, looking all too familiar. It’s from the website you had just visited and draws you back. This is retargeting.

Retargeting is used to bring users back to your website while also subtly showing them your advertised content. This promotes your business to the customer while also keeping you in the forefront of their mind.

The reconnect with your brand provides more points of contact with your audience and increases the chance that those returning users will buy your products or services or share your content.

Retargeting works across all devices and can be a great way to promote your content as well as draw online users back to your website. This is a crucial part to bringing back users you didn’t grab the attention of the first time. Think of it as an introduction do-over. Are you ready to get your business started on retargeting and digital ads? Contact us today at marketingcompany.com!