It would be nice if this were the last time I had to write something like this. I'm tired of reading articles that claim that marketing will hurt your business, is being completely replaced by one thing or another or is otherwise dead. It seems to me that these types of articles that make broad brush claims are usually written by people who are knowledgeable about one subject (and it's usually one they're trying to push), not the discipline of marketing as a whole. And of course, the subject du jour is social media.
Don't be mislead. Marketing done right has always been about focusing outward, that is, on the customer and on the people who influence them. Nothing new there. What’s new are the tools used to communicate. Sure, every medium can be rife with abuse and poor messaging, but to claim that marketing hurts your business is ridiculous. And besides, marketing isn't just promotions (advertising, PR, social media, et al), it involves product development, distribution and pricing as well. What's really different about social media is that it's a digital soft sell. That is, you can't shout sales messages and expect to be effective. In other words, even if you're soft-selling or trying to get people to say nice things about you, at the end of the day, you're still trying to put something across to help your business gain customers. Oh, and that's a key benefit of marketing by the way. Should you offer coupons to boost your business or is it the marketing tool of last resort? A lot of businesses think offering a reduced price on products or services is going to improve their bottom line. Not necessarily. The following checklist will help you decide when it's right to offer a lower price or discount. Using discounts or not depends on many factors, including your business model and what you’re trying to accomplish. It’s not a quick fix. The simple truth is that coupons or discounts are advertising. That is, you’re paying to attract customers. Think your strategy through before you take the plunge. Pros:
Cons:
Discounts are the Last Promotional Tool, Not the FirstIf you do decide to use coupons, consider the following:
Related Articles: 10 Reasons Why Discount Pricing is Bad for Business How to Use Social Media to Market a Local Business Rethink Your Marketing Strategy in Under an Hour Tracking and measurement is essential to the successful implementation of any marketing program. When it comes to measuring social media's value, there are several key metrics:
|
Robbin BlockSharing what I know and love about marketing small to medium businesses. About me Categories
All
|