When budgets get tight and tough decisions need to be made, all too often, building trades unions put marketing on the chopping block. Cutting marketing, however, is a mistake. Marketing is an investment, not an expense that should be ignored or cut when times get tough.
Think of it this way: marketing is how you let people know what you do so that you can gain their business. When you cut marketing, fewer people know what you do, and in turn, you get less business.
Here are a few marketing tips to make sure that when the economy gets tough, you can keep going:
- Make sure you have business cards. Networking is almost free. There may be a small cover charge to get into some networking events, but for the most part ‘pressing the flesh’ comes at no cost. Without a business card, however, you don’t leave your new contacts a way to follow with you. What if they can’t recall you name, or the name of your business? There's no way for them to jog their memory or get in touch with you. Additionally, business cards are relative
- Make sure your website is in order. You’ve heard the phrase ‘you only get one chance to make a first impression.’ Well, the same applies to your digital presence. Your website is one of the fastest and easiest ways your customers learn about you. What are they going to learn if the content is old, irrelevant, and stale? What are they going to learn if your site isn’t mobile responsive and they’re trying to research you on their iPhone? What if your contact us page has incorrect information? Maintaining a website is inexpensive and one of the easiest ways to inform your audience about whom you are and what you do.ly inexpensive. Having them could bring business; not having them could cost you.
- Use Social Media. Social media is free. Yes, free. It also happens to be one of the most immediate, more personal and easiest ways to communicate with your clients. By using social media, you’ll be creating more substantial, personal relationships with your customers, and you’ll be increasing the visibility of your brand in the process.
- Utilize email marketing. Direct email marketing, well written and based on compelling content, is critical. It is easy to implement and extremely cost-effective — allowing you to communicate with your customers as much as you (and they) want. It also gives you the ability to test, see what’s working, and quickly react to generate more sales. It allows you to make your message as timely and relevant as possible.
- Create strong relationships with your target audience. One of the greatest benefits of multi-channel marketing is that it provides excellent customer relationship-building opportunities. Social media and email allow you to stay in front of your clients while letting the customer learn about your product on their schedule.
There are a lot of things you can cut under a tightening belt, but marketing shouldn’t be one of them. Need help to figure out how to utilize strong marketing tactics on a tight budget? Get in touch with BMA Media Group; we’re here to help you show your best, without spending the most!
LaborTools powered by BMA Media Group is used to help strengthen our union client’s organizations. From working with unions from the local level to the international, with training funds and labor management partnerships, as well as other labor organizations, BMA has experience with organizations of all sizes. We are here to create and implement unique and customized marketing campaigns for our clients.
At BMA, we offer services in the following categories: union event services (from writing the history of your union to executing the logistics of an event,) video production, website design, union marketing campaigns, print and broadcast advertising, social media management, development of print materials, building trades industry education, labor public relations and crisis management, union merchandise, as well as strategic branding and marketing of union organizations.
BMA Media Group is a Union Building Trades Contractor, signatory with International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union Local 673 and International Union of Painters and Allied Trades DC 6 / Sign Display and Allied Trades Local 639. BMA Media Group is also signatory with AFTRA and an affiliate contractor of the Cleveland Chapter of NECA.
