Good Small Business Marketing Means Doing the Math

USAtoday“While social media is sexy, and advertising is easy, there’s still tremendous power in printed materials,” states small business marketing consultant Rhonda Abrams in USA Today.

Certainly not earthshaking news there; even among high-level ad agency experts the tide is turning back toward print advertising and print publishing is having a rebirth.

Yet Abrams’ reminder offers a good opportunity to refresh our memories on some basic tenets of effective marketing.

“Whichever marketing vehicle you choose, remember, repetition is key,” Abrams notes. “You must be seen repeatedly, with the same message, for your marketing to make an impact.”

For small business owners who are juggling a million details at once, understanding how to plan their channel strategy can be daunting. Where to appear, how often, and how much will it cost are all variables that need to be determined.

Abrams takes a bit of the guesswork out of this with her Marketing Vehicles Comparison Chart, which can help you evaluate which channels can be the most cost effective for your needs. Beyond the obvious cost of the placement, Abrams breaks out the sometimes hidden costs like ad prep, and urges marketers to carefully consider a channel’s reach, frequency, expected response rates and cost per thousand.

It’s a good place to start to be sure your marketing dollars are being spent in the right direction.