Marketing Experts: Don’t Stop Advertising
The Chamber of Commerce hosted a panel of marketing experts: Strait WEB owner Roxi Baxley, Call Center 24X7 owner Shane Miller and graphic designer Laurel Black.
About advertising, Laurel Black said “you can’t afford not to.” She also urged business owners to “pretend you’re the customer.” And she said it’s important for businesses to have a clear message because “confused people don’t buy.”
Roxi Baxley talking about the importance of using Facebook for promoting business.
Shane Miller said the customer service industry is one of the few industries that’s thriving in the current economy. “One of the big reasons for that is because retention of customers costs less than gaining new customers.”
About advertising, Laurel Black said “you can’t afford not to.” She also urged business owners to “pretend you’re the customer.” And she said it’s important for businesses to have a clear message because “confused people don’t buy.”
Roxi Baxley talking about the importance of using Facebook for promoting business.
Shane Miller said the customer service industry is one of the few industries that’s thriving in the current economy. “One of the big reasons for that is because retention of customers costs less than gaining new customers.”
Labels: Laurel Black, Roxi Baxley, Shane Miller
posted by Tom Harper at 3:11 PM
16 Comments:
Heh. In other words, marketing experts got up to tell people to keep paying the marketing experts. That's funny.
Don't Stop Advertising......
Geezzzzus! So, what will advertising do if people don't have/want to spend money?
And, advertising in the local rag? Might as well flush my money down a rat hole.
Dingbats. BBC, ream them for me, I'm too tired.
Oh, I know quite a few business people in this town that never advertise and they keep chugging along just fine on word of mouth.
Shane Miller said the customer service industry is one of the few industries that’s thriving in the current economy.
Well, if you want a minimum wage job.
My long dead wife worked for a local rag on the east side of the state. One thing your local rag doesn't want you to know is that the advertising in the classified section is much more cheaper and effective for small business folks than the small display ads that the local rag wants to sell you cuz they charge you more for them.
People read the classified ads because they want to, and often just skim over the display ads.
But I'm not saying that display ads aren't effective, if you are a big business they can work for you.
Can I a give a local business some free space here? I tried the lunch special at that Mexican restaurant across the street from Jace Reality on first street today.
At just $4.75 for lunch I thought it was a great deal and the food wuz good, and served on a hot plate.
Hell, some of the places in this gateway to nowhere want that much for a bowl of frigging soup.
Correction: This gateway to the Twilight Twinkies Zone and Victoria. :-)
I know Roxi Baxley. And I know her "skills" as a "marketer." I am not impressed with either. She should stick to raising goats.
AND - Lookie, lookie! She's in the same building with CPI, Exceltech, and (drumroll, please) Karen Rogers Consulting. So we know where Roxi's coming from.
Yes, this was a funny article. What would we expect them to say? "Don't patronize our businesses, as advertizing professionals. We know times are tough, and cash flow is scarce, so.. you folks just hold back and save your reserves so you can get by for one or two more months. Maybe things will turn around."
"Spin"?
I saw new housing sales, nation wide, are at all time historic lows as per data released just a few days ago. Historically, the health of the housing industry has been a good indicator of the health of the economy.
Save limited resources to survive hard times, or spend your limited money hoping things turn around soon, based on self-serving "rah-rah" pronouncements? I think I'll hold tight, thank you very much.
I agree with Billy about the Mexican restaurant, Peurto de Angeles (sp?). Although I like Fiesta Jalisco (sp?) too. Forgive me, for my Spanish is not so premium.
I was in the audience and heard the entire presentation (not just the sound bite that made it into the paper), and I really appreciated Laurel Black's main focus: Local businesses have to quit whining about why it is "good for the community" to shop local and start thinking about why it is "good for the customer" to shop local, and Market that fact.
Burned..not seeing the difference.
Community is all of us. Customers are those with money.
Community is all of us.
Even if people don't have money, to spend at your shop, we need focus on strengthening the COMMUNITY.
Your line illustrates the PROBLEM in this community: me first selfishness, lack of community focus, and callous promotion of such.
Well that's actually a very good question... Why is it good for the customer (that'd be me) to shop at local businesses? The hit on my pocketbook is far greater at local instead of box stores or over the internet. The service can be hit or miss... or so far afield it leaves a bad taste in my mouth and a vow never to shop there again. And it's not like I'd get a raise or a better job if my dollars stayed local. Maybe my boss would but I sure as hell wouldn't. So why is it good for me to spend extra to support local businesses? Maybe the PADA or chamber or PDN could focus on that for a bit.
"So why is it good for me to spend extra to support local businesses?"
Well, in theory, dollars spent in local stores help to keep them open, and then the money " stays local", instead of going as "profit" to Arkansas or some other big box corporate headquarters.
Now, there are no guarantees that actually happens. As an example, the "profits" of local businesses are being used by the city/PADA to hire consultants from outside the city for these various conferences, workshops and "economic development summits". That money comes from the dues collected from local businesses, in part.
Or, the employees of local businesses who are paid such small wages may go and spend what they have at the big box stores as they try to survive, and the money ends up in Arkansas or wherever, anyways.
These are not new concepts. Yet, after all these years, here we are. Obviously, these old ideas are not helping much. The vacancies are still growing, from what I see driving around.
With the nationwide economy still in a nose dive, where is the money going to come from to turn things around?
With the nationwide economy still in a nose dive, where is the money going to come from to turn things around?
If it's money others are concerned about, follow the money to where it is. There are areas in this country where there is money to be made.
I don't much care about money so I'm staying put.
Talk about it, Billy!
Someone should tell the satellite and cable companies that retention of customers becomes more important in rough economies. I think they never got the memo.
Was this in the paper? How funny that the takeaway message is to keep spending money on advertising!
Luckily, marketing "experts" do not run most businesses.
To the guy talking about money going back to Arkansas:
The government (including the local ones) collect tax from those big box stores. Big box stores also provide jobs to the folks in small towns. Would they earn more and get better benefits in the local book store or restaurant? I think probably not.
I try to shop locally, but if Walmart has the same item for sale as (say) Gross', but Gross' is double the price (I use an actual example here of some rose disease treatment), I will buy it from Walmart. There are some local stores that do a great job keeping prices in line and really seem to knowwhat their customers want. I shop there faithfully (Swain's).
Small shops do themselves in when they treat customers like they are an imposition and try to mug us with high prices. Walmart is a small town's great equalizer. They make the small highway robbers either fall in line or fall away.
And to the other guy who gave a thumbs up to Fiesta Jalisco - I will second that.
Do we need an economic summit to tell me that we need to fix up the downtown, get some renters in those vacant shops, and get a plan together to restore some of our nicer historic buildings and the waterfront for when or if the economy turns. Instead we seem bent on tossing money into the wind (the incubator) and pay folks to work on Rayonier only to have Rayonier and ecology do a work around.
Lordy.
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