Marketing During The Recession

In the midst of a recession it's important that you don't stop promoting your business. There are many things that we're all cutting back on but to cut back on your marketing budget would be unwise. Of course you may be thinking 'You would say that!', so we've put together some ideas that won't break the bank...

If you market your business well at a time when your competitors may be holding back then you can get well ahead of the game. Keeping in the public eye will make your company stand out against others who may appear to be struggling in their absence. 

Get Personal

As ever, one of the best ways of marketing is by word of mouth. Whether it be happy clients spreading the good word or you making use of networking and speaking events and exhibitions there's no simpler way of getting your message across to the right people. 

New customers are still out there, they are just starting to think differently about the way they spend their money. So first off to stop your existing clients from looking elsewhere you should keep them loyal with regular contact, excellent service and targeted advertising. Personalised email newsletters and loyalty card schemes spring to mind and can be relatively inexpensive (call us for more details of our packages) .

Regular Advertising

Regular advertising is much more effective than the odd advert here and there. This doesn't have to be expensive, for example you could swap your full page advert with a series of smaller, quarter page adverts over a number of weeks. Many publications are open to negotiating rates especially if you are booking in more than one ad at a time. Also make sure you ask about advertorial space when you book in your spot, supporting your artwork with a well written article gives you double the presence.

Consumers are redefining value in response to tighter purse strings and it's important that you put some research into their priorities in relation to your products. Your customers will be more inclined to postponing purchases or shopping around for cheaper deals so you need to focus your marketing in the right areas that are likely to tempt them. 

Online Presence

More and more people are going online to compare businesses and their services so it's important yours is leaving the right impression. Make sure your website is more creative and more memorable than others. Each website we produce for our clients is completely bespoke and designed from scratch and this enables them to really stand out from the crowd. Make sure your website is regularly updated to make people more likely to return for the latest offers and more recent news. The best way to do this is by adding a blog to your site (get in touch for more details) . 

Get socialising on Twitter and Facebook. Though we wouldn't suggest completely relying on them for new clients, we do think they're great for keeping in the public eye and for spreading news and offers amongst your most loyal of customers.

Again email marketing can be a great tool and is also very inexpensive compared to other forms of advertising. We have various packages available and have put together some useful tips on our recent blog post here .

Flyers & Leaflets

Leaflets and flyers are the most common tool businesses will turn to for their marketing and this is ok - it's a good way to get in touch with the public. But try to think outside of the box, do something different that makes your business appear unique. Also rather than printing thousands upon thousands of flyers, limit your print run and target exactly who it's sent out to - either using a mailing list of regular customers or by targeting a specific location or type of client.

There are some shapes and sizes that are more cost effective as flyers than others. For example if you ditch the common 6 page DL Leaflet or 4 page A5 for a smaller A6 or A7 flyer with a single promotion or even print some new business cards with an offer on the reverse instead. The key to your flyers is to keep them simple and straight to the point, if you do go for a smaller option remember to cut down on the copy too!

Everything we print for our clients is recycled and/or FSC accredited but to make sure your flyers are environmentally sound (and more effective in the long run) try to think of a way to ensure your target audience will keep hold of it. Make it useful, make it turn into something else, make it a game or a scorecard  - anything that keeps it under their noses for longer is good.

The Round Up

So to conclude there are many cheap ways to advertise your business out there so whatever you do don't stop driving forward. If you would like to discuss any ideas with us or would like us to think of a bespoke solution for you please get in touch .