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With the current economic recession, it is already difficult enough just to begin a small business.  Then there is the challenge of marketing that small business or start-up to compete with existing large businesses and corporations. Studies have shown that a consumer must have exposure to a product or service nine times before they feel comfortable with it and likely to buy it. (BusinessKnowledgeSource.com: Marketing and Sales Info)  Therefore, you may have to make at least nine advertising impressions before a consumer recognizes your brand.  This is not exactly a viable option with the budget of small businesses and start-ups.  However, despite the economy, there are still alternative opportunities to promote your business or organization other than costly traditional advertising.

One of the most powerful ways to market small businesses is online.  A major 83% of Americans agree with the statement: “So much contact with companies today is “virtual” or online – that it’s more important than ever that companies prove to people who they are in everything they do or say.” (MS&L Global Values Survey)  The internet has many tools available to promote a business for minimal to no rates.  A company website can be your best salesperson.  In today’s technological age, it is often the first impression that a consumer obtains of your business.

In order for potential customers to even discover your website, it should undergo SEO or Search Engine Optimization.  SEO is the structuring and coding of a website so it is indexed higher up on a search engine page.  It is important to incorporate keywords and key phrases throughout your website.  There is also the option of Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Campaigns to guide customers who may not know how to find you.  With PPC Campaigns, a pre-approved price is paid when the sponsored link is clicked, leading to quick results and increased traffic.

Besides your website, it is important to offer additional means of disseminating information, such as blogs.  A whopping 77% of active internet users look to blogs for further descriptions or multimedia such as links, graphics, or videos. (Technorati.com: State of the Blogosphere) Blogs further increase your website’s Search Engine Optimization.  It is also vital to allow readers to leave comments and interact with the blog audience so your business resonates with them.  Blogs allow you to direct the conversation about your company in an authentic, transparent manner.

A small company can also utilize guerilla marketing email campaigns to initiate conversation with new clients.  You can pay for large email databases or find email contacts online to use in direct mailings.  It creates direct communication with targeted potential customers and continued effective communication with follow-up emails to customers who respond.  Consistent emails keep your company brand relevant in a consumer’s mind as well.

Another economically practical method of interaction with potential customers is social networking and media.  Since 2006, social networking has grown 93% and 105 million Americans participate in social media. (Netpop Research LLC)  Social media sites such as Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Ning, YouTube, etc. have become extremely popular tools to promote businesses and their services or products.  They allow for increased communication between your business and your current customers as well as provide information for prospective clients.  All social networks sites can further support your other online marketing tools such as your website, blog and the information in your email campaigns.

So despite the economic downturn, there are a variety of inexpensive marketing tools available for small businesses.  It is important to have an efficient balance of your company website complete with SEO, blogs, email campaigns and social media to fully capture your current and potential customer’s attention.  The internet is a great economical option for marketing your small business and start-up.  Many of these services and more are available for small business promotion through communication agencies such as DScribed, Inc.  We can provide you with several marketing channels to create impressions for your company in a cost-effective manner.

By Giuseppina Tumminello, Account Assistant

How does one go about obtaining the job that they want? There are so many elements that make you a more impressive individual to future employers. Likewise, there are several factors that can help your company attract more prospective clients. Making yourself or your company more marketable all starts with the presentation. Like how a powerful resume and proper attire are essential in a job interview, a professional website and logo are important for any company seeking to engage their clients.

While a person’s resume will only be seen by the company they are interviewing with, your website will be seen by anyone and everyone, so you want to make it as impressive as possible! Clients are looking for information about your company, and are attracted to eye-catching, professional-looking websites that are easy to navigate. Remember, the more appealing your website looks, the more appealing your COMPANY looks, so make a good first impression!

It is always a smart move to have a portfolio of your work in a job interview, even if its not required. The potential client may not be looking for samples of your work, but to have it readily available on your website makes you far more marketable than another company whose website has no samples of their work. The client can instantly decide if they want to do business with you, just by seeing the quality of your work.

A company’s logo is similar to what a person would wear to a job interview. This is the very first impression that the employer has of you. The certain fonts, colors, and designs in a single logo send a message to prospective clients. A clean, professional logo with a fun, little design would give off a better first impression than just the company’s name in an unimaginative font. Like the way you would dress for an interview, your logo should have some personality, too!

In this rough job market, it is more important than ever to give off the best impression possible. It doesn’t matter if you are trying to attract business, or if you’re interviewing for the job, you want everyone to be impressed with the most marketable you!

By Melanie Yates, Account Assistant