I was having a discussion with a client this week about his outbound marketing efforts and we got to his print spend. Now on the surface, many cynics would say to move that money elsewhere immediately and there’s a good chance that will happen but let's not replace one mistake with another.We are discussing the odds n’ ends he spends on what I call panic buys – those times when you want to make a quick push and without planning, you pull the trigger.
If possible, you should have discretionary money and a plan that is flexible enough to exploit unforeseen opportunities but any of that activity should still fall in line with your overall strategy.
His Facebook group and YouTube channel are both coming along, he knows this stuff takes time and he is also doing an extensive radio campaign. One of his most powerful marketing tools is how he and his team treat customers. Treat one person well and they will tell a friend, treat one person badly and they will tell everyone.
We are tallying up all those things he spends money on throughout a normal year and much to his surprise it’s in the tens of thousands. A few hundred here, a couple of thousand there and suddenly there is budget for a more concise and focused attack. Many little things can be a bigger thing that will give his spend much more impact.
I had lunch with a colleague recently who admittedly says he doesn't 'get' all these new tools and worries that he isn't ready to be in the conversation. I admire his honesty but reminded him that the conversation is happening with or without him and he doesn't need to be everywhere to be somewhere but nowhere is not the answer.
The tools available to you as a business owner are as vast as your imagination but without commitment none will work for a sustained period of time. Work on your people, secure the promises you can keep with your customers and your marketing spend (money and time) will be a lot easier to plan.
If you don't think you have budget for something, have a look at all your spending and you may discover a surprise or two.
Is it worth a shot?
knealemann
image credit: bolton
