MARKETING THROUGH A DOWNTURN
A recession is a difficult time for all businesses but research has shown that the
companies that market themselves effectively during a recession come out stronger
during and in the period directly after the downturn.
When a recession starts to bite the first thing that businesses immediately do is
to drop there marketing spend. When cutbacks have to be made the simplest place
to start is always at the marketing budget and there are typically three schools
of thought. Larger businesses that have a great brand feel that they can drop the
marketing budget and that the product or service will continue to sell itself, mid-size
businesses are often concerned that if cutbacks aren't made then business will suffer
and smaller businesses often have no choice but to save money.
Any 3 of the above thoughts are incorrect and research of businesses that continued
to invest in marketing during recessions over the last 50 years has shown that these
businesses typically see a 4% return on investment and gain market share up to 3
times faster once the recession is over. Once marketing spend has been cut all that
happens is that the money is allocated elsewhere in the business and once the downturn
has ended increasing the marketing budgets can turn into a huge challenge. Basic
marketing principles dictate that if people are not told about your own product
or service they will most definitely be told about your competitors and market share
will be cut. Which in the current economic climate is the worst thing that could
happen to a business right now.
WHAT CHOICES DO BUSINESSES HAVE?
Other than slashing marketing spend which by now we have ascertained isn't the correct
approach, marketing budgets can be spent wisely. Rather than having 10,000+ cheap
flyers printed which, more than likely sit in the storeroom collecting dust the
money could be better spent on having a professional design company create an effective
print campaign. 3000 - 5000 well designed flyers nine times out of ten have more
of an impact and produce the desired result.
To find out how Breed Creative Solutions can help your organisation with traditional
print campaigns including brochures, booklets and posters contact us about our
graphic design services alternatively call us now on
08456 43 92 43.
Online marketing has become big business and one of the many strengths of a good
online presence is that smaller businesses can compete with larger businesses without
having to spend masses of money. The internet continues to grow at a daily rate
with businesses looking to capitalise on the gains made by early internet start-ups.
When talking about websites terms such as 24/7 salesman is thrown around and for
good reason. A website is visible 24 hours a day 7 days a week and a well designed
professional website can boost the profile of any business. If a business can provide
worthwhile content to potential customers to keep them coming back eventually a
trust forms and the site visitors will feel comfortable enough to buy any products
or services.
Online marketing can be easily measured using free tools available from Google,
Yahoo and Microsoft. These tools can help to define and measure return on investment
using measurables such as visitor information, time spent on the website and goals.
For more information on how Breed Creative Solutions can help you to measure your
websites return on investment please follow the link.
A well designed website conveys trust which is an important aspect in any kind of
selling; a businesses marketing materials both printed and online should demonstrate
consistency with the branding. Any potential customer that will see the various
different types of materials should instantly start to recognise the brand.
To read more about
effective web design or to sample our graphic and web design portfolios please
follow the links.
A business that sells materials for DIY enthusiasts could provide how-to articles
to potential customers for example on how to build decking. Eventually as a trust
forms between seller and buyer they may purchase the materials from the seller,
with the knowledge that they can go back and ask for guidance and help. The how
to articles could also be included within printed product brochures to appeal to
DIY enthusiasts who may want to improve their home but are unable to pay for the
work to be completed.
There are several advantages to providing content to potential customers as mentioned
one is trust however these articles can help push a site up the search engines providing
enhanced visibility for the site and increased visitors. The more useful the articles
the more that the articles will be linked to and in turn the further up the search
engine the site will rise.
To read more about how Breed Creative Solutions can help develop an effective website
or an effective
search engine optimisation campaign follow the links. Alternatively
read our search engine optimisation guide
for tips and a general understanding of what is involved in SEO.
Email marketing is another low cost technique that businesses can use to market
themselves effectively. Reminding potential customers of your products and services
at regular intervals by email is a good way to keep your product or service fresh
in people's minds. However care should be taken not to over do it and common sense
should dictate how often emails are sent out.
To read more about how Breed Creative Solutions can produce effective
email marketing materials please follow the link.
For more information on how Breed Creative Solutions can help you market your business
through the downturn please
contact us via our electronic contact form or on 08456
43 92 43. For
a free no obligation quotation please complete our web design quote form.