If you could only have one marketing tactic or tool, which would it be?
By Jim Logan • May 24th, 2007 • Category: Other Lead Generation Stuff
Here’s an incomplete question, with absolutely no right answer. I purposely haven’t provided enough information to do anything other than give an opinion as an answer. Good luck!
If you were a small business owner, focusing on local markets, and only had the resources – people, time, money – to have one marketing tool or activity, which would it be? This would be the one tool or activity your company can use to build your business. You have to produce meaningful results within 9 months.
I’ve thought about this a bit and I’ve decided if I could only have one marketing tool or activity, it would be business cards. A business card, with a compelling message about your offering, is the most effective marketing tool you can have…if you can only have one.
Beyond simple contact information, you should have a statement about your key benefit. Make your card a mini postcard about your most compelling offer. Use both sides of the card and get creative.
Business cards are the most underused marketing tool available. You can carry them with you anywhere. And they’re inexpensive enough to give away to everyone you meet.
Everyone you come in contact with should walk away with a card or two to remember and refer you when a need arises.
Here’s how I weighed other marketing tools and activities:
- Web-site. Having a website with no other marketing campaign is nearly worthless. You have to do something to get your target audience to your site. You can only do one thing, therefore, it’s out.
- Blog. You could blog and get people to your site eventually, but it’s hard to find your target audience using blog posts, especially as a small business. You need something to go with it. Next.
- White papers. Close. But you have to mail them, make them available on the web, etc. It takes two marketing tactics. We only get one.
- Brochure. Close too. But you’re not going to carry around brochures and hand them out at the kid’s ball games.
- Telemarketing. Maybe. We all hate cold calling, but if you could only do one thing…no, we all hate cold calling.
- Direct mail. I almost chose this. In fact, if I didn’t include business cards as marketing tactic and had in mind a market beyond my immediate region…this would have been the one. It can stand on its own and it still works.
- Email marketing. No. Too much of a wild card. And you have to collect email addresses first. I like the idea of having an ezine and believe most businesses should have one and send it regularly, but I wouldn’t use email as the only means to support my business.
- Radio. Possible, but too expensive in many markets and hard to target a specific audience.
- TV. Next.
- Local newspaper advertising. Dependant upon the business, this might work. For example, if my business were a local bakery, this is the one I might take.
- Press releases. I thought about this one a bit. Press releases can be used to announce any event in a business – launching a new product, opening a new market, changing locations, hiring key staff, hitting a milestone, etc. There are a lot of uses for press releases. But you have to get interested people to read them. That is tough and often requires a second activity.
- Tradeshow. Too expensive. Too long between events. But it works well with my business cards :-)
- Yellow Pages. Depending on your business, this would be the one to do. But it’s printed once a year, so it’s eliminated from my thoughts.
So, those are the tools and activities I thought of. Which did you choose? Or did you choose one I failed to mention? Remember, you can only have one. Let us know which one you chose and why.
Jim Logan is the founder of JS Logan, a B2B lead generation and sales acceleration company. Click Here and discover what makes JS Logan different from other B2B complex sales and marketing firms.
If you enjoyed this post, please Subscribe. It's the best way to make sure you don't miss a single tip or how-to shared on this site.
Email this author | All posts by Jim Logan
I like your business card idea. I think it is definitely the winning card out of your other options.
But, before I even read the article, I read your Title and I immediately thought of my customers (i.e. word of mouth). If I can be my customers heroes they’ll tell their friends and I’ll be their hero too.
Business cards work, but word of mouth travels faster than business cards. ;)
It’s hard to argue with that one Bob. I won’t even try :-)
Word of mouth is a fantastic marketing tool. The key, of course, is giving people something to talk about.
Thanks for adding “word of mouth” to the list of considered tactics. As I did, it’s too often overlooked as a tool of marketing and revenue growth.
Jim
How about speaking engagements? They have been the MOST effective for us.
I’m just getting started on my own, and your comments really helped put a few things into perspective. Thanks!
Ed
http://www.CarolinaEventPlanning.com
Mukund, I should have added speaking to the list as well as “word of mouth.” I wouldn’t have chosen it for this hypothetical question, but I agree with your experience. I’ve found speaking to be a wonderful way to reach new customers.
With teleconferences and webinars, you can reach a lot of people from around the world…the speaking opportunities are great! Organizations of all size and kind seek speakers on a variety of topics.
Great addition to the list!
Ed, thanks for the kind words! Welcome!
I would choose website because not only is it a showcase and brochure for me, but also a communications hub, customer service tool and business processes tool all in one.
The drivers to my website are SEO and SEM (search engine optimization and search engine marketing) as well as my in person and online networking. My web address is in all my signature lines. And in this scenario, where I wouldn’t be allowed any other tool, giving my url to someone at a local function is as easy as writing it on a coaster (although it’s really easy to remember).
For me, it’s the “perfect storm” in marketing collateral.
The most important element needed to make money online is a large, responsive opt-in e-list of subscribers. Without that, you don’t have a business.
Danielle: A website is a must. Even if your primary customer doesn’t purchase a product or service such as you offer online. Your web address holds everything - basic contact information, ordering information, product and service descriptions, benefit statements, testimonials, etc. A sort of one-stop-shop for all things related to your business.
Thanks for bringing that thought forward!
====
Bob: How true! If you want to make money online and don’t have a loyal audience of subscribers…how do you survive? I think attracting new subscribers is the most important “job” of anyone wanting to make money from their online presence. And I think it takes a different type of writing and mindset to attract subscribers - I struggle with this daily :-)
Interestingly, I worked for a while with a couple blog networks to learn more about the “blog mentality” and thought process of making money from blogging. What I found was reader loyalty and subscribers were an after thought (at least with the two blog networks I worked with). Page views were most valued - it’s tied to advertising dollars and PPC revenue. Posting frequently and getting more inbound links was valued over creating a relationship with readers. At some level reader value mattered, but the main thing was adding more search traffic and getting more page views. The experience made me realize I didn’t want to be a blogger - I’d rather connect with a core group of readers and let site traffic build from there.
Thanks for dropping in and reminding us of the value of building a list and earning new subscribers.
Take Care!
Just one won’t fly, it should be a combination.
- A website is a good start: it is available 24 x 7
- A website needs:
* content - lots of content to get indexed by Google
* to be found: links, SEO, ..
How: submit to (free)directories, PR, content, comments on blogs, white papers, becoming finalist in a contest (or win)
What is diificult or expensive:
- A blog: posting something interesting twice a week
- Paid links: costly
- Advertising: print, radio, tv or online: mostly costly
- email marketing: where to get these email addresses? Who, when and what - all 3 has to be OK, else no interest at all.
We managed to get visitors: currently # 1.051.420 on http://www.alexa.com in less than 9 months.
So something we did worked.