Marketing your way through the credit crunch

Roll up your sleeves and get ready to fight

It's time to take action. Time to be assertive. Time to fight a good fight. Sitting back and doing nothing just won't cut it.

At the moment you can't turn on the TV, step out of the house, or even pick up a newspaper without hearing the dreaded phrase "credit crunch." This period of economic uncertainty is affecting all businesses, both large and small. And that fearful term is sending most of us into a spin. So what do you do: sit back and wait for things to pass, or put up a fight for your business?

Of course, no one wants to see their business depreciate, after years of hard work. So taking the right action now will help you keep afloat through the hard times. Companies that respond in the right way to this global economic downturn are going to be the ones that set themselves up for success. By actively going in search of new business, your company can maintain and increase its orders, bookings or sales.

Effective marketing
The key to keeping clients and customers, and to getting new ones too, lies greatly in effective marketing. Consistent and seamless messaging in successful campaigns will build your company profile, and by showing confidence in your product or service and keeping your brand visible you'll stay in the forefront of customers' minds.

First of all, take a good look at your audience. Talk to them and find out why they use your product or service, and how they perceive your business in the new climate. You'll soon see that people aren't acting in the same ways that they did a year ago. Then look at your product or service and its unique selling point (USP) - what sets you apart from the alternatives now?

Once you've got a more complete current picture of your business and the target market, then you can begin to consider your marketing strategies and those of your competition. From your company branding through to the functionality of your website, you can develop new messaging that will build your customers' trust in your products or services and will really up your marketing game. And remember, it's all about holding your customers' attention. Be conscious of who they are: target those who need and use your products or services, and those who go to your competitors instead.

Integrated campaigns that are aimed at specific people within your target audience can help hold existing customer attention and acquire new business, with bespoke messaging and promotional offers or discounts, when appropriate. It can be as simple as an email, or can reach the level of tailored microsites for promotions. Look at all the big companies out there and the amount of promotional emails they send out - some are weekly, some fortnightly, but they constantly keep in touch with their target markets, by using simple messaging and or clear offers, in a low-cost format.

Online marketing is now an essential strategy for any size of business. With the right tools and design company behind you, your business can come out on top of the Google searches, and will be seen by all the right people in the right places - whilst working seamlessly alongside your offline communications.

Regular updates using e-newsletters are a particularly engaging way to make contact - you can update on offers, company news, staff news and even current affairs; anything that will get a reader involved and clicking through to your website. A regular blog also works just as well and, once it's set up, you'll find that it's easy to update. Blogs are also a great way to attract new business to your website. Many people read them and even if they haven't heard of your company they'll come to your site, simply through engaging content. Another great way to actively pursue new customers online is through viral games and email campaigns. Send entertaining or animated emails (or links to an animation on your site) out to your existing customers and you'll find that they pass them on to their own list of contacts - so you can reach out to even more people.

The chance is now
The ball has already started rolling, and over the coming months - no one seems to know just how many yet - the business world is going to remain volatile. But by taking on marketing strategies that will promote your business to the right people, and by spending money only on marketing that you know will be effective, and in turn cost effective, you can help your company thrive in difficult times.

If you've got something that's worth selling, then believe in it - roll up your sleeves and get ready to fight a good fight.

Let ifour help you market your way through the credit crunch. For a free no obligation quotation contact us today on 01892 541111 . or contact us through our website. What have you got to lose?

Written by www.ifour.co.uk

Article written in 2009