“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
- Generally attributed to either Albert Einstein or Ben Franklin
Remember back in the good old days when small business marketing was simple? Get a sign printed for the door, place a yellow page ad, maybe mail something a few times a year and then go to the annual trade show. Ahhh…. I can almost hear the click of the Selectric Typewriter as a secretary types up the new changes the year on the marketing plan.
Wow. What happened?
Oh yeah, that.
So, the question is this: How closely does your 2009 marketing plan resemble your 2000 marketing plan? 2005? 1995?
Two things close to the top of many businesses’ “I don’t want to think about it” list are marketing and change. But, if your marketing plan isn’t changing at the same pace the world is, you probably aren’t maximizing your marketing ROI.
Marketing is simply communicating to people why they need your product or service. To effectively communicate, you have to reach people where they are, in a manner that interests them. If your marketing tactics don’t change at the same pace that your market or audience is changing, then you’re left behind. To start, challenge every thing that you have done in the past. If the best answer for not trying something else is:
“We’ve always done it that way.”
“That’s what our competitors do.”
“Well, that ad is already done, so let’s just use that one.”
then, it’s time to question how your marketing budget and marketing plan can be re-vamped to more effectively deliver a better return on your investment.
I like this post. It reminds me of the good ole days when things weren’t so complicated but still very effective. Change is good only if you keep up. Thanks!
Eddie Garcia’s last blog post..MLM Success Standing In High Cotton
Thanks Eddie! It is a complicated and fast paced marketing world we live in now – but that’s the fun of it!