An 1876 Invention is Becoming an Important Marketing Tool

Sometimes we can overlook a marketing advantage that's hiding right out in plain sight. A case in point is a tool that was invented back in 1876. It's called a telephone. And, it may be on its way to becoming one of the most effective marketing tools that exists in these days of social media and web marketing.

OK, go ahead and roll your eyes at the corn-ball notion that some argument could be made for such a preposterous statement. To be clear, I'm not suggesting that a telemarketing campaign is better than an e-mail campaign. What I'm suggesting is that the telephone be used more often to connect with clients, important customers and others who are important to you.

Consider for a moment just how much e-mail has replaced talking on the phone over the last 10 years. Sure, e-mail is faster, easier and more convenient. No argument there. But, we also use e-mail to avoid even the most minor fear of rejection or having to deliver bad news. It's much easier to craft an e-mail than it is to face a challenging conversation.

the last time I advertised for a position in the agency, I narrowed my final choices down to four people and called each one. I got voice-mail on every call, so I asked them to call me on the phone to make an appointment for a final interview. Two called and two e-mailed me. I replied to the two e-mails, again asking them to call (making sure they had my phone number). One called and the other wrote another e-mail wanting to set a time. Guess who got eliminated from the final round first?

It made me realize that we are so used to communicating by e-mail that we've lost a degree of our connection with some who are very important to us. If you replace just 20% of your e-mail conversations with phone calls to your important contacts, you will be making yourself different while making a difference.

Keeping good customers is more important today than ever before. And these days, your competitors are trying harder than ever to get your customers. The telephone is a great tool for maintaining that connection. Because, tagging your e-mail with "LOL" will never create the same bond as sharing a genuine laugh.

Do Web Marketing Experts Really Pay for Themselves?

Anyone who hasn't been locked in a closet for the past five years knows that the Internet has helped level the marketing playing field between large and small companies. Social media and other web marketing methods are allowing businesses with small marketing budgets to compete with larger companies.

Not too many years ago, a business needed to spend $200,000 or more annually in a small to medium market just to have a minimal presence. That left most businesses out of the hunt for any kind of top of mind awareness in their market. Businesses with smaller budgets were limited to a selection of marketing alternatives that might include guerrilla marketing, community newspapers, local store marketing or maybe a modest presence in the local daily newspaper.

Today, if a business owner figures out how to harness the power of the Internet, a world of potential customers, literally, opens up. That's the good news. the bad news is that it isn't quite as easy as it might first appear.

In my experience, most people who run a business find that it's a full time job. Business people tend to be consumed with all that needs tending, from personnel issues to accounting. From dealing with vendors to keeping customers happy. And, there are dozens of other tasks, each screaming for the entrepreneur's attention.

This business of web marketing takes precious time that most business people simply don't have. And, it isn't just the time to execute the e-marketing plan. It also involves creating the plan. How, as an entry level player, do you know where you should have a presence, and what you should do once you are there?

How much effort should you put against search engine optimization? Should you be on YouTube, Flickr, Twitter or Facebook? Should you have an e-mail program or a paid search campaign? Does a blog make sense for you? Then there are the hundreds of add-on applications that extend the effectiveness of all these platforms. And, how do you connect your choices so they all coordinate to deliver a cohesive message to the same target audience? Finally, how do you measure results?

It is the rare business owner who can figure all this out and still run his business. Take advantage of the opportunities the web offers and start today by hiring someone who already knows this stuff. They'll do a much better job, and do it quicker than you could ever hope to. The money you save by trying to figure it out yourself will be a trifle compared to what you will gain by ramping up now and staying ahead of your competition.