Wow! 2017 can you believe it? What are you going to do this year to make a difference in your business? Albert Einstein said: “The definition of insanity is doing something over and over again and expecting a different result.”
We are already seeing a lot of activity in job growth, and President Elect Trump hasn’t even been sworn into office. Now, I am not going to get political, but if you have been reading the headlines, big businesses (i.e Ford, Fiat Chrysler) are second guessing moving jobs out of America and reinvesting in America instead.
I don’t know about you, but the 2016 Holiday season was the busiest I have seen it years. Everywhere I went malls and grocery stores they were all packed. So now is your opportunity to put your business on the map.
I’ve said it before, but will say it again, when business gets slow, the first thing people do is cut their marketing. Why? That is like selling when the stock market is down and buying when the stocks are high. Whether you like to spend money on marketing or not, it is a necessity! When business is down, you should be doubling your marketing expense, not cutting it. Better yet, take a good hard look at your marketing. Who is doing it? What image is it conveying? Does it reflect the image of your business, or is it disconnected?
Now is the time to think about these things and pull the trigger and make some changes in 2017. If you are doing your own marketing, maybe it is time to let someone else handle it? Whether you like to do it, or not isn’t the issue. It doesn’t mean you are doing a bad job either. What it means is you need fresh eyes, ideas, and thoughts. Think of it like this, would a lawyer represent themselves in a case; or, would they hire the best lawyer they could afford? They’d hire the best lawyer they could to win the case, right? The same holds true for marketing. Maybe its time to get a fresh perspective and free up time to focus on other areas of your business.
If you have hired someone to do your marketing, GREAT! What are they doing for you? Have they offered you new solutions? Do they know your vision for your business? Or, are you just an afterthought, while they look for the bigger “fish”? Again, maybe it is time to hire someone else and pursue a new marketing avenue. Not because the current company is fulfilling your needs, but if they aren’t coming up with fresh ideas then it is time to change.
Everything should be branded, period! Marketing is an extension of that branding. It shouldn’t be completely opposite of what your business image is. I hate to always reference Starbucks, but as I’m sitting in one writing this, it comes to mind. From the logo, to the cups, to the website, to the atmosphere of each store. They all complement each other and convey the same simple message. It’s a place to relax and hang out with friends, close business deals, or just unwind and people watch.
Make sure your marketing is complementing your businesses image. You don’t need new-fangled, bells and whistles, or a huge marketing budget. You just need someone who will learn about your business, listens to your needs, and think outside of the box, yet keep your businesses image intact.
So…how are you going to grow your business in 2017? It is a new year, a new President. Are you going to continue to on the same path and expect different results, or change things up? The decision is yours!
Geoff Cummings is President | Founder of On the Level Marketing & Consulting, LLC. Successfully helping businesses with all their marketing needs by branding their businesses and keeping their marketing simple and straightforward. On the Level Marketing & Consulting, LLC Creative|Trustworthy|Hassle-Free. www.geoffc1.sg-host.com, Twitter: @OTLmarketing, Instagram: otlmarketing
