Yesterday Is Not Today

Morris Levine, 212 Park Street. 11 years old and sells papers every day--been selling five years. Makes 50 cents Sundays and 30 cents other days. Location: Burlington, Vermont (LOC) (Photo credit: The Library of Congress)

          What used to work for promotion in the past is not necessarily going to work now.   Only within the past decade or two has social media been available for promoting business and self.   Now it is one of the foremost marketing channels to consider in any campaign.  New social media opportunities are opening up on a continual basis.  Today's marketer has to be savvy about new communication technology and stay on top of what the next big thing will be.

           This is not to say that old ways should be discarded.   They should not be depended upon in the same ways they were in the past.    Newspaper doesn't have the same influence as it once did, but a significant number of readers are still out there and the publishing companies that want to survive are transitioning to having an online presence.  Press releases are still important to get into the right hands.  If you have the budget, newspaper ads can still have some effect.

           Media is in a constant state of flux and nothing is as dependable as it used to be.   The best marketing strategy is to distribute your presence over a wide range of resources.   Keep track of which methods work the best and analyze how and why.   If it worked this time for you, the marketing method might be worth staying with, but don't always count on it.   Experiment and be inventive.

           Marketing is not an exact science and the field is ever-changing.  The primary thing to remember is that the point of marketing is to bring attention to something or somebody and educate your potential marketplace why they should believe in and want what you have to offer.  When a marketing coup is scored, you have accomplished the ultimate goal of a promoter.   If you manage this coup then remember the process, but don't necessarily expect for it to work every time.   Yesterday is not today and today is not tomorrow.

          What old advertising methods can you think of that don't work very well now?   Have you ever revived an old-style method with success or seen a campaign that has done this?    What advertising methods do you think will be used with success in the future?

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Wonder Why #atozchallenge

open your eyes (Photo credit: AlicePopkorn)

        Whether it be marketing and promotion or anything else in life, don't ever lose your sense of wonder.   Don't be afraid to ask why, what, and how.    The more you understand about how things work, the better you can get a grasp on what does work.

            If others have blazed the trail before you then utilize the knowledge they have gained.   When you experiment keep track of outcomes to see what was effective and what was not worth the effort you put into whatever it was that out you tried.   Don't merely accept the surface observations, but analyze and dig deep to see if you can unravel the answers to whatever questions have arisen from the outcomes of your efforts.

          When you fail, wonder what you could have done differently.  When you succeed, wonder why your efforts were successful and what you can do better next time.   A sense of wonder inspires curiosity.   When we are curious we want to know why things are as they are and how we can continually improve upon what we are doing.

            Don't ever stop asking why.   Don't ever lose your sense of wonder.

What Works?

            If you missed the posts for the What Works?  Online Marketing Symposium you might want to go back when you have the time to review some of the great posts that are linked on the list at my post.  Several bloggers offered some advice and related their experiences with marketing.

             We intend to put together another Online Marketing Symposium in the future.  Be watching for more information.

          Why are you afraid to get out there to promote yourself?   Why have some of your promotional efforts fallen short?    Why do you repeat the same mistakes?    Why have you succeeded when you did?


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Valuate Everything #atozchallenge

Counting (Photo credit: recurrence)

 
         Promotion can cost not only money, but time.  Your time is worth something.  It's not a bad idea to keep track of how much time you are spending on your promotional endeavors to get a concept of what you're laying out to do your promotions.  Consider how much it might cost you to hire someone to do the work necessary to promote for you.  Can you do the promotion yourself in an equally effective way and do it for less money?

         There are many considerations regarding value in the promotional work.  Think about every possible cost to you from printed materials to office supplies.  Don't forget all of the hidden incidentals like toner or print cartridges.  There's the wear and tear on your vehicle and nice looking clothes for personal appearances.   You might even want to consider the estimated percentage amounts of expenses like your utility or phone bills that might be related to your promotional activity.

          If you are out and about promoting and eating out when you normally wouldn't, then factor in those costs.  Same if you take someone out or are entertaining for promotional purposes.  If you pay for refreshments at a promotional event or have a bowl of candy set out for potential customers, then that's an expense you don't want to forget.

          Keep a good detailed record of every cent you lay out for your promotional activity whether it's something you're doing at home or out on the road.   It's often amazing to realize how much we spend on the things we do especially when it's cash out of pocket.  If you don't write it all down or keep receipts you may wonder where all your money went at the end of the day.

         The advice given here is not intended for actual business purposes.  This is mostly just a fun calculation and you'd want to be careful about what you use for tax deductions.  There are definite ramifications regarding expenses and taxes that can make a big difference when you file your returns.   You want to take advantage of everything you can in order to increase your profit margin.   Consult the tax experts on that aspect of valuating your assets and liabilities.

          Before you delve into serious promotional and marketing efforts, you might want to grab a pencil and paper and start writing out lists and playing with figures.   A lot of this activity might be based on guessing.  The more you consider ahead of time, the better prepared you'll be when you start acting.

          Do you watch your pennies carefully?   When you consider the cost of your promotional activities do you consider the costs that are not most immediate to what you are doing?    Do you hire a tax expert to assist you in filing your taxes?

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