Small business owners struggle with balance. Work often bleeds into family time, and vice versa. Balance is also an issue when it comes to implementing a marketing plan. How much should you rely on traditional marketing tactics versus what’s possible through digital channels?

Consider the following:

  • What Type of Business Do You Own? — Think about your customers. Where do you find them most often? Are they coming to you because you built a relationship with them through Facebook and Twitter, or are they giving you a call because they heard your advertisement on the radio? Before sinking money and effort into marketing, figure out where these customers are and how you can best build a relationship. Senior citizens, for example, trust more traditional marketing channels. If they’re your audience, a series of YouTube videos probably isn’t the best plan.
  • What Segments Do You Want to Build? — Suppose your traditional customer is a senior citizen, but you’re seeing a gradual decline in their impact on your bottom line. The time might be right to try digital marketing options and go after new potential customers. Videos may be the right way to connect with a new audience. Or cultivating a unique presence on Twitter may help draw in new clients.
  • What Tactics Are Working? — Marketing success is a moving target. A tactic that worked in the past may no longer pay dividends in the outcomes of finding new customers. You may be in a place where digital marketing — email newsletters, webinars, podcasts — provides a straighter line to customers. Remember the yellow pages? When was the last time you used one?
  • What is Your Budget? — One of the great equalizers in today’s marketing is the way certain digital channels have such low price barriers to entry. Starting a Twitter or Facebook account costs nothing. Buying ads on those services, or producing high-quality videos, does cost money, but you have the flexibility to try out different options. Or you can spend $1500 a month on a billboard and hope for the best.

What marketing tactics are you currently using for your business? Is it time you assessed your marketing mix? Contact us today to learn how we can help.