Marketing tips to survive 2012!

As we close the door on a year that saw many companies fail to survive, we open the door on another year which could prove to be an even tougher trading year.

The picture seems mixed, with many companies successful, sitting on cash reserves and profitable. Others are struggling and every day the news seems to reflect new staff redundancies.

So what differentiates these companies?

It will be a combination of factors, but undoubtedly those that spend their marketing budget wisely will leverage an advantage.

Chris Combemale, Executive Director of the Direct Marketing Association believes that ‘clever use of marketing spend could be the answer to getting back on track’. Combemale has written an article containing marketing tips to help businesses. These tips include:

1. Invest in marketing. Although cash flow may be tight, marketing is not the area to make cutbacks. Actively promoting and selling your products and services using creative and highly targeted communications is crucial.
2. Digital marketing is a great way to communicate with your target market, but don’t forget about traditional marketing either. Businesses should consider maximising the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns through integration with offline channels, such as advertising mail.
3. Use sophisticated analytics to gain further insight into what is working and what is not. Companies who are already using analytics can be more targeted in their marketing solutions by knowing what their customers react to the best.
4. Mobile marketing is a hot topic that many businesses are turning a blind eye to. 50 per cent of the population have smart phones and this number is dramatically increasing, avoiding mobile marketing is not an option in 2012. Ensure your website and marketing material is adaptable for mobile to get the best effects.
5. Originality will be a key seller for effective marketing this year. Think creatively and act pragmatically, find the right balance for marketing tools used and utilise these channels!

To simply sum up Combemale’s points: invest, combine marketing tools, keep up with the times, analyse and be creative.

If you can manage all of that then you are sure to sail through 2012 without a hitch…if only!!

Happy marketing everyone!

Read more:

Xpert Small Business, What’s Hot in marketing 2012, 10 January 2012

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