The recent forced closures and Pandemic Downturn forces businesses to re-think their Marketing efforts.
As stated in the Northwest Indiana Business Magazine “The rule still stands that you should never do just one media. It’s a committed mix over time,” Julie Olthoff of VIA Marketing in Merrillville said. “It takes six weeks for a good digital run to take hold. On average.”
“For current customers, e-blasts would be immediate, and I’m still a fan of reminder postcards,” she said. “For both audiences, hosting an open house/event, signs in front of your business, social media activity, digital ads, traditional media, etc.,” will be appropriate, Olthoff said.
According to Seth Spencer of SERA Solutions of Michigan City “Cutting back on expenses when revenue shrinks or disappears shouldn’t mean eliminating marketing.”
“Traditional media’s effectiveness can be tracked easily. Magazines, billboards or radio, for example, can generate a custom URL that creates a website,” Spencer said. “A custom URL generates the numbers an advertiser wants to see to gauge effectiveness,” he said. “Promotional codes work, too. You can see where every one of your dollars is going,” Spencer said. A custom URL is also referred to as a landing page.
And then, there’s the obvious yet traditional method of simply asking customers on the phone, when they come in the door or when they approach the counter, “How did you hear about us?”
Jack Adams, of Safari Marketing said “A lot of people are pumping the brakes on their marketing right now,” Adams said while the stay-at-home order was in place. “Pumping the brakes is the worst thing they could do.”
In addition the article continues with advise from Michelle Andres from Group 7even in Valparaiso,” If a business goes dark, they lose a lot of top-of-mind awareness,” she said. “Once they lose that, they then start to lose footing within the market, and that is something very expensive to get back.”
In a world where all the focus is on social media and technological solutions there may be other necessary marketing options being overlooked. Social Media provides one the ability to reach a specific age group, but you can’t go about your “business” by completely focusing on one specific method. In today’s fast paced multiple platform society, certain kinds of businesses may need marketing options available other than social media.
“The goal is not to stop advertising, but rather, the way you advertise needs to change,” stated Andres.
With the constant changes in Facebook that force declines in fans reaching your posts, forced declines in Business Page’s exposure, limits and restrictions on posts, forcing businesses to pay to play – who knows what the future will bring! In the future, keep in mind, that every social media platform will be constantly changing their business model to become more profitable.
During this downturn, PanoramaNOW Entertainment News has revised their website and focused more on Socially Distant Activities like and fishing, boating, biking, hiking, but continuing the popular Calendar of Events. Other topics have been added like Parenting Skills, Home Improvement Tips, Gardening Tips, and Lifestyle Articles. “Outdoor Concerts are still happening,” stated Susie Young Baxter, C.E.O of Panoramanow.
As PanoramaNOW Magazine approached 36 years, it continued to be valuable to its readership reaching readers on a one-on-one level. PanoramaNOW is the ONLY Magazine that is Direct Mailed to Doctors offices and Dentist offices in Northwest Indiana and has the doctor’s name printed on the cover that guarantees year-long exposure. It is a niche magazine that publishes only positive news that is focused on Things to do, Places to go, Recreation Options and Family Fun in Northwest Indiana.
Source: Northwest Indiana Business Magazine
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Susie Young Baxter, CEO, has published PanoramaNOW Magazine for 31 years. Her hobbies are Camping, Boating, Hiking, Nature, Gardening and Outdoor Activities. She is an Artist, Graphic Designer, an Avid Seamstress, Dabbles in Homemade Crafts and Landscaping. Since her Father was a Health Teacher, she also likes homeopathic Health Solutions. Since blogging started over 10 years ago, PanoramaNow has been added to Newsbreak – a national news affiliate.
