Getting Back to the Basics of Marketing

Getting Back to the Basics of Marketing

Getting Back to the Basics of Marketing

As aSt. Louis area public relations and marketing professional, I have had recent meetings with owners of several established businesses andhave elicited one conclusion; it's time to get back to what many refer to as"blocking and tackling".

Many of thesefirms enjoyed outstanding success prior to the recession but then fell on hard times when customersreduced their budgets or eliminated specific category spending all together.

Now that the economy is slowly starting to turn, small Business to Business and selected Business to Consumer firms need to re-ignite their memory about how they built their company.

Long hours, trade show attendance, networking events, dozens of sales presentations,building relationships, and self-education on the latest industry trends were the norm to build the client base. While much has changed in the Internet era those principles are still the same.

So what is the impact from a Public Relations and marketing standpoint? It means re-establishing branding and messaging activities using both social mediaas well as traditional media. Many think ofmessaging andmediaas an end-all strategy but it is only the beginning of a more comprehensive plan.

It should startwith a re-examination of the data base and searching out customers who perhaps brought you solid business inbetter timesbut whom you chose not to pursue further during the busy pre-recession days.

It includes making one-on-one in-person contacts with your best prospects whether it's at a breakfast, lunch, dinner or a seminar. Many are still out there, they just need to be contacted and engaged.

Joining selected organizations where prospects and referral sources reign is also vital. This should include participating on boards of charitable organizations where you cannot only meet like-minded individuals from other businesses, but also make a difference in your community.

Obviously the sales message may need an overhaul. Is it on-target for what your prospect needs in 2011 and going forward,or are you still using an approach stuck in the 1990s?

Business owners who arededicated and will takethe effort to reinvigorate theircompanies will find that itrequires nothing more than getting back to the basics.

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