And how well do they work together?

Marketing is expensive, time consuming, and often confusing. Different things we sell need different marketing channels and selling strategies. They all have to work together. Our business changes over time, and so do our customers and competitors. Even if we’re really good at marketing, it’s hard to keep on top of it all, and be expert in all the different parts. And there’s only 25 hours a day, right? Too often, we make piecemeal changes in our marketing, without considering how all the pieces must work together.

This is a big topic, but I want to show you how small companies deal with this marketing can of worms. I’ll post a series of short articles, using the same three companies as examples: a bakery, a contractor, and a consultant/trainer.

• Different products, different channels. Different things you sell may rely on different marketing channels.
• How well do your channels work? Can you rate the effectiveness of the different marketing channels you use? Which are doing a good job, and which are not?
• How well do your channels work together? For many things you sell, different channels complement each other. If one isn’t doing its job, sales suffer.
• Things change. Marketing channels have a “sell by date.” Things that used to work no longer produce desired results. Which of your marketing channels need to be thought through again? Updated or replaced?

You should apply this type of thinking to your own company and see what changes you should make.

Feel stuck? Confused? We will be glad to talk with you, without charge, for half an hour, to see if we can point you in the right direction.