Market! Do it NOW!

Ok, a lot of us are just getting into this business, while others are doing "fair-to-middlin" and the vast majority are grumbling on forums, in coffee shops and via e-mails to others in the business that business is down, getting bad, dying out, sucks. They don't call, they don't write...

Essentially those who market make it, those who don't? Well, they gripe, complain, moan and groan and lament that nobody seems able to find their web site, phone number, e-mail address or front door these days. Even back in my early days in retail merchandising - the pre-WalMart stores like WT Grants, FedMart, Woolco, etc. the philosophy was: "Having a bad week in sales? Work more hours, make more money," or "Having a great week in sales? Work more hours, make MORE money."

The same applied to low store traffic: "Not too many coming in, we'd better advertise more," or "We're having huge traffic, let's advertise MORE!" Get the concept?

It is also a known fact that while marketing is important year round, in lean, mean or great times, it is even MORE important during times like the current national and world wide economic situation. Ironically this is when many of us cut back on our marketing - marketing budgets, insurance and subscriptions to associations, organizations and magazines are the first areas to cut back. This, when you need to be doing it the most. Marketing works folks, no doubt about it.

DO THIS NOW!
Don't put off pushing for eyeballs at your web site because it needs updating and doesn't look just right or whatever. If you have not updated or improved your web site presence in the past 90 days you're not going to do it today either. But, you CAN dust off those direct mailing pieces, fliers or even the old promotional post cards and send out a few, inviting people to visit your web site TODAY!

Join the social networks such as twitter and facebook, digg or mixx, and a host of other sites that usually cost you little more than a few minutes time. Get the word out that way as well, virtually cost free. Let people know you are available, that you offer valid products and services in which they might be interested.

Hand deliver some of those demo DVDs you need, or want, to update, or have been planning to update but simply have not had the time while you're so busy worrying about not having any business. Sure, you'd like them to look better, be more current, offer different products, etc., but hey, you made that demo and it worked for awhile, but now it doesn't. Why? Because you cut back on distribution until you get around to making a better one. Just do it! Do it now! Get those demos out where they can do you some good.

Hand them out at community events. Take them to the bounty of ball parks and public parks where youth sports teams meet to practice, play and scrape their knees almost on a daily basis. Don't have content that reflects this? How much time does it take to capture a few practice sessions somewhere, put a few still shots with it and generate a music montage action demo for sports? You can do this in less than eight hours. Start now and your new demo will be ready for the weekend.

We all spend an exorbitant amount of time worrying and doing nothing about it when all we have to do is get up, get out and get going. Dust off your demo DVDs today, your direct mail pieces, make a few calls, write a few letters, approach a few area bridal shops, boutiques or tux rental shops, and press the flesh, smile a lot and hand out your paraphernalia.

If you market, you will make it! © Earl Chessher, 1990-2009