What Are the Benefits of an Outsourcing Your Marketing?

Marketing is one of the most highly variable and potentially costly expenses for all businesses. Especially for small companies and startups, keeping a full-time Marketing Department employed, trained on the latest trends, conceptualizing, producing, and managing quality campaigns and busy during "off seasons" can be a major challenge. In today’s economy, many savvy business owners are thinking outside the box by doing away with in-house marketing departments and hiring a marketing consulting company, such as Blue Dog Marketing.

Hiring a marketing consulting company is not the same as contracting with a large advertising firm. Instead of being locked into hefty contracts, business owners who partner with a marketing consulting company get the benefits of a big ad agency without the big price tag. They get high-end talent, workflow flexibility, scalability, project management, and substantial savings.

Perhaps most importantly, business owners who chose this route are able to access a far greater talent pool than they would ever be able to otherwise. That is, a marketing consulting company, such as Blue Dog Marketing, serves many diverse clients and hires the best marketing people and graphic artists, whereas a smaller business would not be able to afford the salaries such experts demand. Better than that, instead of accessing just one expert, clients of marketing consulting companies get access to entire teams of outstanding marketing experts because they're not hiring these experts in-house, but rather simply paying for them when their expertise is needed.

Paying for talent when it's needed is another reason so many business owners are making this change. Not only can they access better talent on demand, but also they are truly only paying for that talent when needed. With an in-house department, that level of flexibility and scalability is simply not possible. When marketing needs go up one month and down the next, business owners simply have to maintain the salaries and benefits of in-house staff. With outsourced marketing, if your business has a slower season during which you do little marketing, you simply don't pay for marketing at that time of the year.

Keeping costs down through staff scalability is an excellent benefit of outsourced marketing, as is keeping overhead down. Without an entire marketing department in the office, using office space, materials, energy, and other resources, business owners are better able to reduce overhead and make better use of their often-limited space. Space is not the only overhead expense, however. Staffing changes including searching, hiring, and firing are all major expenses. Marketing teams need frequent training due to the constantly changing nature of the industry, and they often add a lot of work to accounts receivables and payables as they work with many outside vendors and service providers.

An in-house marketing department costs a lot more than a few salaries, and a marketing consulting company can actually save you more than you spend when it's all said and done.  Contact us at Blue Dog Marketing….not only will we help your business grow, but we’ll save you money too!

 

What Is The Difference Between Marketing And Advertising?

Today every business needs to promote itself. It should make customers and prospects aware of the products and services it offers. There are many ways to promote your business - television, radio, print, outdoor media, website, social media.

Marketing and advertising are not the same 

Marketing and advertising are two unique concepts which are important for every business to succeed. Many people wrongly assume that they are the same. But, they are not. Marketing involves various activities like identifying the target markets, their needs and requirements; new product development, promotion, and building brand image. Advertising, on the other hand, is one of the marketing activities which make consumers aware of the products/services available under a brand.

How does marketing and advertising help businesses?  Let’s take a look at Marketing.

• Marketing defines target markets: Your target market is a group of people who are more likely to buy your products/services. Unless a business identifies its target market, it cannot design a customized advertising strategy for that target audience.  Marketing helps the businesses effectively identify their target markets.

• Marketing identifies your customers' needs:  Marketing identifies customers' need by conducting polls, campaigns and research.  All these marketing steps enable the businesses to produce products that match the needs and wants of the consumers.

• Marketing builds your brand image:  Marketing enables a company to conduct various programs to promote its brand and its products.  Doing this helps establish a brand image.

Now, let’s take a look at Advertising.

• Advertising helps publicize your company's products and services: While marketing involves all the back-end operations, advertising is the publicizing of the brand to the customer and prospects. It creates an awareness of the brand as well as the products/services offered and makes the brand well known among the target markets.

An effective advertisement also had the ability to persuade the customers and prospects to buy your products/services. The diverse means of advertising include non-electronic media like newspapers, brochures, journals, magazines, banners, posters, etc., and electronic media such as television, radio, the Internet, etc.

• Advertising differentiates your company's products from others' products: Another advantage of advertising is that it gives you an opportunity to differentiate your products from your competitors' products. I’m sure you’ve seen advertisements which compare the effectiveness of a company’s products with that of their competitors.

• Advertising enhances your presence in the market: An advertisement campaign continuously reminds current and potential customers about your brand and products. An ongoing advertising strategy helps businesses reach their customers effectively. In the long run, it helps the companies build long term relationship with their target market.

Marketing and advertising both help a business increase revenues

The goal of both marketing and advertising is the same - to improve sales and revenues of the company. While marketing improves sales by producing products that serve the needs and wants of the customers, advertising enhances the revenues by making people aware of the products offered by the company.

Any business can accrue these benefits by considering marketing and advertising as essential elements of business. Implementing effective marketing and advertising strategies customized to a business is essential and works best when both the strategies are integrated. To make the most out of them, it is better to take help of professional advertising and marketing service providers who offer tailor-made strategies designed to meet your business goals and help you prosper and grow bigger.  Give us at Blue Dog Marketing a call.  We can create a marketing plan that will meet your business goals and help your business grow.

 

Marketing as a Conversation, Part 2

When you start looking at marketing as a conversation, it raises a number of questions. Who should you be targeting? What should your message be? How do you motivate people to engage with you? What marketing tools and technologies should you use in this conversation?

The process of answering these questions takes much of the mystery and complexity out of marketing. More important, it helps to resolve perhaps the biggest mistake that most small businesses make - trying to market their product or service to the whole world rather than carefully targeting their audiences. No business can be all things to all people. Answering these marketing conversation questions enables you to deliver a targeted, focused message that makes the best use of your time and marketing dollars.

Approaching marketing as a conversation also resolves another common marketing blunder - talking at your customers rather than with them.

Conversation implies a two-way dialog. You talk while the other person listens. Then they talk while you listen. If you discover a mutual interest, the conversation continues. That's why social media is such a great marketing tool. When used properly, social media can make it easy and cost-effective to engage prospects and customers in two-way dialog.

During this two-way dialog, listening is by far the more important part of the process. Today's customers don't want to be sold; they want someone to help them make the right buying decision. They want someone who will educate them about the questions they should be asking in order to make the best buying decisions. They want someone who will act as a trusted partner rather than just a vendor. In order to become a trusted partner, you must listen closely to your customers, and listen well.

When you hold the right conversations with the right people, marketing becomes much easier and lot more effective. That's an outcome that every small business would like to see.

 

Marketing as a Conversation, Part 1

What is marketing?  Marketing is the process of educating people about your products or services. It's how you go about building your brand. It's what takes place before the sale. Marketing is conducting research to learn about your prospects and customers. It's the activity that keeps the company looking to the future rather than focusing just on today.

Marketing is all these things and more, which can make it seem like a difficult and challenging hat for a small business owner to wear; especially if you have limited resources and no formal marketing training.

If you keep in mind that, at its most basic, marketing is a conversation between you and your prospects and customers, it can be an easier task. To create the conversation you need to determine the following:  

·         Determine your ideal customer - those who have a legitimate need for your product or service and have the financial resources to purchase it.

·         Identify your ideal customer's most important challenges, issues and concerns in regards to your product or service.

·         Help them understand how your product/service/solution addresses those concerns better than anyone else while offering the best value for their money.

Do these three things well, and attracting new customers - which is one of the primary goals of marketing - gets a lot easier. Which means you can spend more time actually delivering your product or service and less time struggling to get people interested in it.

Marketing Plans are Living Documents

As a small business, do you feel that your marketing efforts need something of a boost? This is one area of business where it seems that problems often aren't evident until it's almost too late. Marketing is frequently seen as being something that is about building for the long-term. It's not an area of the business that is likely to involve deadlines and desperate customers. This may be why it sometimes drops down the list of priorities.

How can you ensure that your marketing gets the focus that it needs and deserves? At the back of your mind, you should always be thinking that marketing holds the key to the long-term success of your business.  Having a marketing plan in place gives you direction.  But you must always look at your marketing plan as a living document.  Therefore, you need to make a real effort to make time for marketing by setting aside assigned periods within your work week to focus on marketing.  And you need to be working to your marketing plan.  Every step that you take should be about helping to meet the aims and objectives of this marketing plan.
A marketing plan will keep you on track.  If you need help with your marketing, contact us at Blue Dog Marketing.  We can help you create and implement a strong marketing plan for your business.

 

Small Businesses Need Marketing Plans for Success

Developing a marketing plan for your small business can make a big difference in your success. Without a marketing plan, you might find your business running without any clear direction.

Benefits of Having a Marketing Plan

A marketing plan establishes your goals and priorities, allowing you to focus primarily on your business. With a well thought-out marketing plan, you can determine the direction you want to take. The plan also helps you identify any necessary changes. With a marketing plan, you can avoid unnecessary expenses that can affect business operations.

Creating a marketing plan allows you to identify your target marketing and to develop a niche that will give you an edge over your competitors. With this, you can easily establish certain features or highlight products that separate your business from the rest. While writing your marketing plan, you should assess the overall performance of your company and identify the weaknesses, strengths, and opportunities that allow you to position your brand effectively.

A marketing plan also helps designate tasks efficiently. With a strategy, you can appoint people who have the skills to market your product to your desired market. For example, you can assign web designers who can create quality websites for your brand. You can also seek help from other professionals so you can give your brand its well-deserved attention.

Developing Your Marketing Plan

Describe your products and services to determine their most significant features. Take note if the product needs further developments or if it is ready to go out on the market. Conduct a thorough market research. Make sure to include previous sales to know how the product or service is fairing.

Identify your major competitors and compare your products to determine their foothold on the market. Consider the methods they use to promote their products. Know how they differ from your current tactics.

Outline your marketing plan so it will suit your operations and budget. Prepare financial statements for projects, sales, and operation costs. Make sure to include cash flow projections and loss reports for the next three years.

Don’t be afraid to consult marketing experts for help.  They are the experts and, by letting them do the marketing, you can focus on your business.

 

How to Get Noticed Without Breaking the Bank

With the economic condition getting tighter and tighter, business owners should not cut back on marketing. Cutting back on your marketing will ensure an untimely demise for your business. However, there are ways to promote your business without breaking the bank. Below are several ways that you can promote your business, products and services without incurring great expense.

Reward Loyal Customers

One of the best ways to market your business is to let your loyal customers know how important they are to you. Something as simple as a quick note-not an email-or as complex as a gift sent in a timely manner will do two positive things for your business. First, it brings your name back to the forefront of their thoughts, and second, it solidifies their loyalty. Yes, an email may suffice, but a card in their hands will have a greater impact. In your card you could offer them an incentive.

When considering what type of thank you gift to send, whether it is a discounted event ticket to one of your events or a physical product, think like your customer. What would they be more apt to remember you for sending them? What would they find useful? Sometimes a branded pen or other item is perfect. While for the very best customers you might consider a box of chocolates.

Offer Referral Incentives

Offer referral incentives.  Giving back, in a real and tangible fashion is an excellent way of genuinely showing your thankfulness for referrals and generating additional referrals.

Put Your Business Card on Bulletin Boards

Have you been out and about and seen a bulletin board in a place of business or library with business cards tacked on it? Have you ever taken one down to use?  These are excellent free and inexpensive ways to market your business. Don't let this opportunity pass you by. Put your card  or flyer up and check back often to make sure you to replace it when you see it is missing.

Network

There are many groups and organizations that the business owner has at their disposal. Take advantage of the many organizations in your community, such as a Chamber or BNI group.  These are great ways to meet other potential business partners and customers.

Participate

Just joining is not enough. Once you join, if you don't participate you'll have wasted your time and money. Get involved, offer to help in any way you can and you will soon find the members more inclined to include you in their circle of friends. Think about the clubs and organizations in which you currently participate. If you aren't making headway, is it due to a lack of participation, or is it just not working. Clean house, chose again, and participate.

Provide Quality Content

Good content is paramount to good marketing. Misspellings in your marketing pieces, no matter where they are found, only makes you look sloppy and unprofessional. After all, who would hire you if they see the lack of care in your own information products and ads? Yet, typos and grammar errors are not the only things that can count against you. Stale or overused content too can create a sense that you aren't providing your reader with the information they seek.  Do your research, quote sources, but keep the content relevant and fresh.

Keep Social Marketing Fresh

Facebook and Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest, Four Square and LinkedIn, just to name a few, social media has taken hold. If you aren't participating you are missing the mark. Each time you comment or post you have the chance to go 'viral'. But, if you don't participate, you never will! Yes, these things take time. Schedule an hour a day to post on the forums and social media; that would be a good start.

Update Your Blog

It is imperative that you keep your blog fresh. If you can't come up with content yourself why not invite others to supply content for you. Hosting an author or business owner interview or blog tour are just a couple of ways to bring new visitors and keep your blog fresh. And, whatever you do, make sure your content is free of grammatical and spelling errors. Before you publish, read and rewrite your content. It isn't going to do you any good if your content is not relevant or of high quality.

Comment on Blogs

Here again is another oft overlooked marketing method. When you comment on another person's blog you usually have the opportunity to include your website link. These unreciprocated links are seen as some of the best SEO (Search Engine Optimization) boosters. Not only will you enjoy this benefit, but you will be opening your comments to a whole different set of eyes

Update your Website

When you look at your web presence does it make you smile? Is it well designed and easy to navigate? If you can't see beyond your current website or think it can't be improved, ask your customers. Their feedback may clue you into changes that you may not be aware of that need to be made. Sometimes, just updating or adding another page is all you need to do. At other times, you may want to give your site a complete makeover

 

How To Use Marketing To Get More Customers

As a small business, you must understand that one of the most important hats you wear is the “marketer” of your business.  Marketing is anything that you do in your business in order to make sales.  So getting more customers is your goal.  How do you accomplish this? 

Build Relationships

You need to learn how to build strong relationships, based on trust with your customers and potential customers. Once these people trust you, they will be more willing to part with their cash in order to take advantage of your products and services. Building relationships on a MASS scale is what marketing is all about.

Market Systematically and Track Results

Because marketing is done on a MASS scale, this means you’ll be dealing with many people at a time. This means that you will need to keep track of what's going on in order to market effectively.

If you want to get more customers, you need to understand marketing, and use it properly to build a truly successful business.  If you don’t want to spend the time doing the marketing, it makes sense to hire a marketing consulting firm like Blue Dog Marketing to help you.  Marketing consulting firms are in existence to create and implement your marketing plan, so you can concentrate on your business.