8 Tips for Marketing

Stewart Marketing

8 Tips for Marketing During a Downturn
Regardless of the tough economic climate, success is still in reach. In order for you to gain some of this business, you need to reevaluate your sales and marketing strategies and, more importantly, stay visible. That’s why we’ve come up with eight cost-effective tips for marketing in a downturn:
1. Client Retention
Staying in constant contact with your existing customers leads to customer loyalty, confidence and repeat business. Meet with past and present clients to see how you can help them during these crucial times. If you want to know the best way to keep customers coming back.
2. Networking
Another great way to stay visible is to network. Attending meetings, events and trade shows is key.
3. Email Campaigns
In a difficult economy, marketers of all types are turning back to email. Low cost and targeted, email is the leader among marketing tactics in the current downturn.
4. Website Marketing
Whether you are planning a new site or want to learn ways to improve what you currently have, your company’s website is a key component to your business. It is often the first thing your customers see, and it must stay updated to be effective. Characteristics of a successful website include usability, content and search engine optimization.
USABILITY: The biggest things to focus on here are navigation, functionality and performance. Navigation needs to be clear and easily guide visitors to their destination. The site should load quickly, properly display in common browsers and adjust to various monitor resolutions.
CONTENT: Check the content of your site for brand effectiveness, clarity, freshness and completeness. The look of your site should accurately reflect your brand. New content needs to be added every two weeks and include visitor information.
SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION (SEO):
Over 85% of people use search engines to locate what they need on the web.
5. Article Marketing Build credibility for yourself and create interest in your company with article marketing. The key is to create informative, well-written articles that rank high in the search engines. Articles should be short, only 400-600 words, written in a conversational tone and contain specific keywords. In addition, at the end of your article, include a resource box containing brief information about you, your company and a link to your website.
6. Strategic Alliances Leverage others’ strengths with strategic alliances and partnerships. The goal is to find customers where your company and brand do not compete. By aligning with another company, you provide your brand with additional credibility. Plus, you reach customers that may not be aware of your brand. Develop these relationships now, to place yourself ahead of the game later.
7. Public Relations Staying visible in the media is also a great way to stay noticed by your customers. Press releases are the easiest and most inexpensive way to get front and center with your public. We have some information on StewartMarketing.com that can help you with your public relations efforts.
8. Find Your Niche Another way to increase exposure and generate more business is to focus on a particular market segment and become the “go-to” business for this field. Make your company known as the expert in hot markets and watch sales rise.
 

Article from Stewart Marketing News - Agents - 12/09https://www.stewartmarketing.com/page.jsp?pageID=3006