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Massage
Marketing in an Economic Downturn
"When times are good, you should advertise. When times are bad, you must advertise." —American Business Media
Your marketing budget is an investment, not an expense. It's a statement of your
belief in your practice, your belief that what you offer is essential to people
in your community. Especially when money is tight, people need to know how much
your work will benefit them. They will be glad to spend the 60 or 70 bucks to
see you - if they know they will get their money's worth. But in an economic
downturn, you may need to work a little harder at making your case.
Target marketing efforts
You can improve your marketing without
spending a lot of money. Invest in smart marketing tools - ones you know
will build your business, and bring in more clients. For one thing, if
you haven't thought about targeting
your marketing efforts yet, this is the perfect time. Notice the
clients you most enjoy working with, whether they are athletes, seniors,
working professionals or some other group. Then develop a message that
speaks directly to them. Mail those clients your promotionals or newsletters,
and distribute your brochures, business
cards and flyers to the places
your target clients go.
Track the results
Are you unsure which of your efforts are reaching people? Now is a
good time to find out. If you're not doing so already, track your
efforts. For example, if you send out a postcard promotional, keep
a record of how many clients respond. Better yet, mail postcards to half your clients, and a newsletter to the other half. See which
gets a better response.
Keep reaching out with mailings
In a recent survey, 44% of businesses
reported spending less this year on print advertising. However, those
same businesses kept their investment in direct mail marketing the same.
Apparently, promotional mailings are still an excellent investment.
If
you want to save some dollars and haven't tried reaching your clients
by email, you may find it's a cost-effective approach. To track its effectiveness,
send an email newsletter to some clients and a paper newsletter to others,
and track how your clients respond to two different offers - one in the
e-newsletter and one in the paper newsletter. With the Natural Touch
Marketing newsletters, you have the option to do both email and paper
newsletters.
Don't ditch your plan
Whatever else, an economic downturn is not the time
to ditch your marketing plan. Jay Conrad Levinson author of Guerrilla
Marketing says,
"Abandoning a marketing
campaign before it has a chance to flourish squanders money."
For
example, you may think it's a good idea to cut back on the quality or
quantity of your marketing materials, but, remember, that could backfire.
Cheap materials can damage your image, and cutting back on the frequency
of communications with clients gives them time to forget about you, or
worse, start wondering whether your business still exists. Don't make
them wonder. Keep sending out your mailings, emails and promotionals.
Remember
your regulars
No matter what else you do, don't forget to market to your
regular clients! Marketing experts say it costs six times as much to
bring in new clients as to keep your existing ones returning. Your regulars
understand what your work means in their lives. They just need your
reminders, your concern, and your appreciation.
Believe your work helps people feel better. Make sure your marketing
materials reflect that belief. This will express a confidence in yourself
that is unshaken by the inevitable ups and downs in life, economic
or otherwise.
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