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2010 Marketing Trends

by Donna Sams

Another year has come and gone and what a year 2009 turned out to be! With all of the financial fall out, there have been some definite changes in marketing trends. If you are wondering what some of the top trends are for 2010, keep reading:

Consumer Opinions - Consumer's listen to other consumer's. Whatever your current client is saying about you will impact your future clients. Have you heard of Google's Sidewiki? The Sidewiki allows web visitors to leave feedback on any website for others to view. This trend is continuing to grow, so stay ahead of this trend by connecting with your customers and listening to what they have to say by soliciting their opinions and feedback for yourself. At the same time, monitor your web presence, go out there and see what others are saying about you.

Value is more important than ever - Value has always been important. Now it is more important than ever. With the economy being the way it has been, people are more cautious than ever and want more "bang for their buck." Find out what needs are not being met for your clients and meet them. In 2010, customers are going to expect it.

Social media - Of course social media isn't new, but in 2010 social media is a must. Facebook alone has over 300 million users and almost half log on EVERYDAY. Social marketing was at first thought of as a novelty, but is now considered a reliable method for businesses to engage customers. Customers are looking more and more to Twitter, Facebook and other social sites to gather information and other consumer opinions.

Email marketing - Direct mail is declining and email marketing is on the rise. For either types of marketing to work, it's imperative that you collect customer data. You have to know your customer to effectively market to them. Data collection is becoming more important and as the data is collected, reaching out to customers via email is proving to be the preferred method.

Offering your knowledge, tips and advice for free - Again, the economy is another reason for this trend. FREE attracts attention. If you are a web designer, offer free tutorials. If you are in real estate, offer free advice to buyers via a blog to help them get more out of their sale. Show people that you are an expert in your field and build good will by offering free advice.

To be a successfull company, make sure you stay ahead of the trends. It's counter-productive to play "catch up." Blaze a trail, stay ahead of the curve and you will make it through the difficult times.

Why Hire a Marketing Company?

by Donna Sams

Marketing is an indispensable part of any business. Marketing makes your product or service recognizable, it increases awareness about what makes your company unique and helps potential clients to feel as if they know you. If people don’t know who you are or what you do, they aren’t going to buy from you. They also need to feel that they trust you. A marketing company can help convey this.

Creating an effective marketing campaign takes time, experience and creativity. Creating an effective logo, stationary package, advertisement, etc. requires the same. It may seem that trying to do your own marketing in house saves you money, but does it really? Say you spend 5 or 6 hours creating a marketing piece. Is that piece really as effective as it could be? If it isn’t, not only have you lost the time you spent, but also any costs incurred with printing, mailing, ad fees, etc. In a nutshell, you’ve lost money. Would that time have been better spent meeting clients and closing sales? Yes. If you hire a marketing company, you can have them handle your marketing needs while you handle your business. Hiring the right marketing company can help make your business successful by saving you time, stress and money.

For more information, or answers to any of your marketing questions, contact Donna at CWI Marketing & Printing.