How to Market in a Down Economy
Leverage your WEBSITE – A cool website is no longer just a great design, it’s presenting appropriate information that will empower your audience and get them to engage with you. So, if you sell CPA services, then give them information that can educate them as to ways they can decrease your taxable income, or tips for responsibly pumping up your expenses (so we don’t flag the IRS). When you inform your audience, they build trust in you and are more likely to buy from you.
If you have a well done website, you can accomplish any of these steps I mention easily and for little cost.
Leverage your customer base with Email Marketing – When customers make decisions in a down economy, they’re more likely to go with a more trusted source. Create focused, custom web pages that really speak to your customers…don’t just send them to your homepage or product offering page. The better you can match what they may be looking for in your offering, the more likely they are to purchase.
Start getting aggressive with your Organic Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – getting good rankings in natural, often referred to as "Organic", search engine rankings is even more crucial now. This can be the most economical cost-per-lead mechanism you can have. Read our "Ten Steps to Improve Your Search Engine Ranking Position".
Target your prospects by narrowing your ad placements – Consumers pinch pennies, so many companies are limiting their mass media advertising and are targeting consumers that are ready to buy. Use ad spaces like Pay-Per-Click, where you can narrow your keywords to those that they may be searching when they are ready to buy, like Dell PowerEdge T605 and not Dell Tower Servers.
Leverage Social Networking Applications – Social programs leverage the voice of the customer to get messages carried further than ad impressions. If you message resonates with consumers, their word-of-mouth is a more effective medium than any of the traditional media. Try blogging or creating a MySpace webpage…they’re free, except for your time, and very effective.
