Any business, irrespective of its size and its nature, needs to take care of marketing. Sitting back and waiting for customers to come through the door has signed the death knell of many a company with potential. However the greatest dilemma that many marketers will face, especially in the formative years or a company’s development is how best to spend the company’s marketing budget.
While there can be no specific answers to that question these days, thanks to the Internet there are a growing number of marketing activities that can help to increase any company’s exposure without involving eye watering investments.
FACEBOOK & SOCIAL MEDIA
If the nature of the business is to do more the general public, then Facebook may prove to be an excellent vehicle also. The cost of establishing and maintaining a Facebook page should always bring results in line with the costs involved.
On the other hand, if the companies activities are based on selling to businesses only then becoming a member of LinkedIn again will prove to be a relatively low cost and potentially high-value activity.
SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING
One of the best-known and proven to be most successful is advertising on Google. Google, on the outside chance that you may never have heard of it, is the largest search engine online who have discover the secrets of successful online advertising either on a local, national or even international scene. Companies with even the most limited of marketing budgets can buy some AdSense advertising for surprisingly little, and can stipulate to Google the geographic and business sector market they are looking for. Google will take care of the rest.
MEDIA WITH LOCAL REACH
For those companies who are operating in a local market specifically, then media advertising may still be the answer for them. Through advertising in a local paper or magazine should be more than capable of bringing in sufficient clientèle at a relatively low cost. Through having the ability to point people to the company website through making sure that there is a link on the page , they be able to play provide more information compelling the customer to make contact.
TRADE SHOWS
Attending a trade show is still one of the most effective ways to connect with a targeted audience looking for your product and services, however the success of a trade show will depend on how much your invest in terms of time and efforts. The key to make a trade show worthwhile is to interact with your audience and gather contact that can then be used for prospecting. It is also important to make sure people remember your brand, so freebies or unique giveaways can help.
In the depths of the Internet age while it may appear to many to be ?old hat? for companies in the business to business sector advertising in print magazines specifically aimed towards the sector, well it can be relatively expensive, can justify itself and for two reasons. Firstly, by keeping your name consistently in front of trade buyers, you will build some kind of link between them and your company, which may well manifest itself into a form of business activity. On the other hand, if you feel to advertise it is for sure that one of your competitors will and they will gradually take your place in the customer?s line of vision.