DIY or call in a professional? Are you a small to medium sized business? Do you have a favourite magazine, newspaper or radio station? Are they the ones you choose to advertise with? Is that a good way to make those type of decisions? People often ask me about how best to market their company. More than you would imagine ask me to recommend an agency other than the one they usually use.
There are many reasons for this including companies not trusting their own judgement, or even that business isn’t going well so they rightly or wrongly blame their current marketing agency. Many more feel they know their market and how to promote their company far better than any advertising or marketing company would and those do not in my opinion get the full potential out of their company.
From what I can see businesses are in a dilemma. Finding additional funds to develop and grow is often not an option. We only have to take a look at the empty shop and office spaces to see that people are not only lacking in funds but perhaps scared of taking the plunge into starting or growing a business.
So what is the answer? Well if I knew that I’d be sitting on a Caribbean island right now! Seriously, marketing agencies offer a number of different services, however it is rare to come across one that is good at everything. Some are excellent at advert design and others great at targeted ad campaigns and assisting with marketing plans for example.
I know from experience and feedback from clients that quality PR is key. Not just advertising for advertising sake but targeting areas and a variety of media is dependant upon the type of business you have and it’s requirements.
Focussing on the message you put across is far more important than many think. Being active on the latest social network sites, hip radio stations, newspapers and glossy magazines is a complete waste of time if the advert or wording for your article isn’t saying what it should. Sit down and think about your company and what you want to achieve and then call a professional communicator to help you.
Secret2media.com
Secret2media 