The best marketing tool

The best marketing tool 800 400 Mark Crone

We must get asked at least twice a month “what is the best marketing tool for us to use”. Our answer is always the same “if we knew that then we would be multi-millionaires”.

Every business is different and therefore the ability to succeed through marketing activities depends on your planning, your client base and your competition. Certain activities will work and others will not, but the only way you find that out is by trying them.

Here is our list of the top 6 marketing activities that should be considered:

Website
Develop a strong website, it is important that the you have an ongoing development programme for the site which includes optimising it from an SEO perspective.

Online Presence
It is crucial that the online presence of your business continues to evolve.  This could be undertaken by maintaining profiles on free business directories, updating details on key forums and posting articles/blogs on third party sites.

Social Media
Develop a strategy and look to utilise key social media channels such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

Direct Marketing
To assist with brand and product awareness some direct marketing campaigns which focus on key customer targets should be implemented. This should encompass both direct mail and e-marketing.

Client Case Studies & Testimonials
These should predominantly be used on the website but could also be made available as pdf files to accompany promotional material as and when required.

PR / Advertising
Whilst advertising can be a very costly exercise it can on occasions generate a good return on investment.  Opportunities should be explored as and when they arise. PR is an area that can bring broad business benefits and needs a careful and clearly defined plan.  Targeting specific publications and specific features will be key to a successful campaign.

The Best Tool

Whilst the above will be very important to any business looking to grow there is one clear element missing. We would classify it as probably the most influential and effective form of marketing there is – yes, the very best Marketing Tool.

So what are we referring to?

It is simply “word of mouth”. It is taking the opportunity to meet people and promote your business by simply talking with others. Attending networking events, interacting with like-minded business professionals. This leads to good business connections and in time a comprehensive referral system.

Now you have all this information at your fingertips, why not give it a try? Start by booking yourself onto a networking event and take it from there.