The other day Dirk (a client) asked me if he should spend $300 to place an ad in the local community magazine. Now, it's only $300 but this kind of thoughtless marketing really is wasteful. I'm not suggesting that advertising in community magazines is a bad idea, in fact it might be the perfect place if you're a handyman. But Dirk isn't a handyman as his wife Julie will attest. Dirk runs a successful business consultancy and even though many of Dirk's clients live in the neighborhood serviced by the magazine, after a bit of strategic thinking, we decided he would be better served by buying a 3 month banner ad campaign on the local Chamber of Commerce website.
Whenever you're thinking about spending marketing dollars ask yourself these questions:
1. What do I hope to achieve
2. Who is my target audience
3. How much can I afford to spend
4. How long should I sustain the effort
5. How will I measure the results
You'll be surprised at what you discover and if you're not sure of the answers or where they are taking you, talk to your marketing buddy - he'll straighten you out.
Steve Earle is Creative Guy at E2Mktg, call him on 954.806.2188 and get started with a Fast-Track Digital Video for your company today.
The banner ad's a good idea and should give Dirk some nice leads.
ReplyDeleteHe should also make a point of joining networking groups in the area - $300 spent on breakfasts at networking meetings will not only put him in touch with new clients directly, but also indirectly as people in the groups will know other people needing his services.
Thanks Guy.
ReplyDeleteYou're absolutely correct - we often loose sight of the value of a face-to-face. I've taken to wearing a 'digital name tag' at networking events, simply because it's a really great conversation starter. http://www.mytag.tv/