The Most Effective Marketing Tool

While it’s important to incorporate a variety of marketing methods when marketing your business, never underestimate the power of a positive referral.  A positive referral is the simple, most effective marketing tool for your company, while the most detrimental is a negative one.  Research shows that TWICE as many people tell others about a bad experience than a good one.  Respond to any complaint quickly and with a positive attitude. View it as an opportunity to turn an unhappy client into a loyal one and take all the necessary steps to make it happen.

To see exactly how much each customer means to you and exactly how much you stand to lose by a poor referral, click here to access  interesting tools to help you calculate the cost of poor service and poor word of mouth.

In the meantime, keep up your excellent customer service.  Give your clients a reason to tell everyone they know about you!

For more interesting marketing facts or to schedule a consultation, contact us today!  You can also like us on Facebook for more tips and information.

2013 Marketing Trends

We’ve listed below some of what we feel are the top marketing trends for 2013 to help you in your marketing endeavors.

- Go Mobile!  In 2012 more people purchased smart phones than laptops, meaning it’s more important than ever to make sure you incorporate a mobile site!  Also make sure your emails are mobile friendly.  There are lots of other mobile marketing options as well, such as apps, ads and messaging campaigns.

- A more level playing field when it comes to SEO (Search Engine Optimization).  SEO will be more about content, social media, as well as sharing and less about keywords and codes.  This is good news because it allows you the opportunity to increase your search engine rankings even if you don’t fully understand H1 tags and keywords.

- Marketing content will be less “wordy” and more media rich.  Content will be more picture and video driven.  People today want instant gratification and to get their information in the fastest, most visually pleasing way possible.  You know what they say, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”   The success of sites such as Pintrest and Instagram, not to mention Twitter, where content is shared quickly and in small portions, is proof of this.

- Content that isn’t just a sales pitch.  When connecting with your clients and prospective clients, don’t keep hitting them over the head with your sales pitch.  Provide information that is useful, educational and interesting.  Give people a reason to seek you out not only when they are looking to buy.

There are many marketing trends and strategies to sift through.  If you would like help sorting through all of the options and implementing the most effective for your business, please give us a call or drop us an email.

The Most Effective Marketing Tool

While it’s important to incorporate a variety of marketing methods when marketing your business, never underestimate the power of a positive referral.  A positive referral is the simple, most effective marketing tool for your company, while the most detrimental is a negative one.  Research shows that TWICE as many people tell others about a bad experience than a good one.  Respond to any complaint quickly and with a positive attitude. View it as an opportunity to turn an unhappy client into a loyal one and take all the necessary steps to make it happen.

To see exactly how much each customer means to you and exactly how much you stand to lose by a poor referral, click here to access  interesting tools to help you calculate the cost of poor service and poor word of mouth.

In the meantime, keep up your excellent customer service.  Give your clients a reason to tell everyone they know about you!

For more interesting marketing facts or to schedule a consultation, contact us today!  You can also like us on Facebook for more tips and information.

Jingle All the Way

Originally published 12/2012

How’s that for a holiday blog title?  Except, I’m not talking about that kind of jingle.

Someone asked me the other day if I thought marketing jingles were dead.  What?  No way!  True, we don’t use the jingle as much as we used to.  Today, many companies license songs from popular artists to market their products (i.e. Chrysler using Eminem, Schick using Jewel’s song for their Intuition razors), but there are still plenty of jingles out there that have stood the test of time.  When putting a band-aid over a cut, how many of you still sing, “I am stuck on Band-aid, cuz’ Band-aid’s stuck on me?”  Or when you are craving a little chocolate and almonds start singing in your head, “Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t?”  Actually, whenever I do something silly, that jingle will creep into my head.   There are still plenty of companies today that use jingles effectively. Think of McDonalds, “Ba Da Ba Ba Bah, I’m lovin’ it.”

Jingles are earworms.  They can be annoying, they can be silly, they can even be cheesy, but they are effective.  Like many things in life, what goes around comes around.  What was once “out” is now “in.”  What was once unfashionable, is now all the rage.  The same goes with jingles.  They weren’t as popular for a while, but are now making a comeback.  No matter what, thanks to so many earworms of the past, they will never be completely gone.

To learn more about other effective forms of advertising, free marketing tips, news and information, make sure you like us on Facebook !

Five Interesting Marketing Facts

1.    70% of local businesses use Facebook.  Does your competition have a
Facebook page?  Do you?

2.    A majority of people stop following a company’s Facebook page because of
the company not replying to a wall post, the page not being updated frequently
enough or having posts that are too repetitive.  Make sure you properly manage
your Facebook page, if you don’t, it could actually do you more harm than good.

3.    Blogging is an effective way to increase your Search Engine Optimization and
increase your sales.  Companies with blogs generate an average of 67% more l
leads than companies who do not.

4.    60% of Bloggers update weekly, only 10% update daily.

5.    When advertising online, leader board (728 x 90 px) and medium rectangle
  (300 x 250) have the highest view rates.  Contrary to popular belief, ads placed
higher on a page do NOT necessarily have a higher impression rate than those
placed lower.

For more interesting marketing facts or to schedule a consultation, contact us today!  You can also like us on Facebook for more tips and information.

Source:  jeffbullas.com

What's New Pussycat?

I just heard this song for the first time in ages.  Even though it is before my time, I do remember hearing it growing up.  It’s one of those old earworms that, once you hear it,  you can’t get out of your head.  If you know this song, you are probably thanking me right now for doing the same to you and will continue to thank me throughout the day.  Just in case you have never had the pleasure, click here to listen to the song and enjoy the enormous bow tie and collar sported by Tom Jones.

No thanks necessary, really.

But, this song did get me thinking about marketing, so it can’t be all bad.  What’s new with your marketing?  The last thing you want to do is let your marketing efforts become stagnant.  Just like Tom Jones wanted to keep things fresh with his pussycat, keeping things fresh with your marketing will help lead to longevity in your business.

Have you been running the same ad in the same publication for eons?  Why not give it a little boost?  Has it been years since your web site has been updated?  Energize it!  Are you giving away ice scrapers as promo items in the summer?  You may want to re-think that.  Are you sporting a Dorothy Hamill haircut in your marketing pieces, despite the fact that you haven’t had that haircut since the 70’s?  Update!

It’s easy to let your marketing fall to the side when business is booming and even when times are financially tight.  Don’t make this mistake!

Allow us to help you invigorate your marketing efforts, by contacting us today!

Three Marketing Mistakes New Businesses Make....and How to Avoid Them

by Donna Sams

Starting a new business can be fun and exciting; it can also be scary and overwhelming.  Between hiring employees or sub-contractors, all of the “back of the house” needs like insurance and accounting, along with the countless other surprises that pop up when you are first starting out, it’s easy to see how marketing can be an afterthought.

That’s the first mistake.

When you finally make the decision to start your own business, one of your first priorities should be marketing.  Before you even open the doors, before meeting with your first potential client, it’s important to have a plan in place and already be implementing it.  Don’t wait until business is underway to decide on a logo or web site.  Once business starts, you will be busy enough.  Already having a logo, marketing materials, a web site, etc. will be one less thing to do during those very busy first days and will ensure that you give your marketing the time and attention it deserves.  Trying to determine how to brand your company after you are already busy running it can contribute to your branding not being the most effective.  Of course, marketing is ongoing and important to keep up after your business has started, but going in without having a firm plan implemented can spell disaster and lead to even more work (and more expense) later.

Another reason to start marketing early - it generates interest.  A few months before opening your doors, you can generate excitement for your new business by putting your best marketing foot forward.

Mistake number two made by new businesses - failure to do any tracking.  After you’ve spent your time and money on various marketing efforts, make sure to track them.  Find out how your new clients are finding out about you.  It will help determine the best way to spend your marketing dollars in the future and avoid potential waste.

Once your business is booming and things are going well, don’t forget about your marketing.  That’s mistake number three.  New businesses tend to think that once their logo is determined, their web site up and running and marketing materials purchased that they are done.  It’s important to stay at the forefront of trends and keep your marketing fresh.  The last thing you want is to be stagnant.  If you don’t have a marketing employee, it’s good to have a marketing professional you can outsource to (or even both), to help maintain your status as a  leader in your industry.

For more marketing tips or to schedule a consultation, contact us today!  You can also like us on Facebook for more tips and information.

How Long Does it Take to Make Money?

We have a lot of small business clients and being that CWI is also a small business, we like that.  It helps us to relate to our clients and understand them.  One of the questions we are asked the most is, “How long does it take to build a brand?” or “How long until this marketing stuff works?”  When we ask the client to elaborate, we find that what they are really asking is, “How long until I make money?”

Good question, since both building your brand and making money go hand-in-hand.

The old adage goes:

“The first year you lose money, the second year you break even and the third year you make money.”

Now, we aren’t saying you should plan on going bankrupt your first year in business, but if you plan on starting a business and striking it rich within the first few months, you aren’t being realistic.  We also aren’t saying that it can’t happen, we are simply saying that if it does (especially in this economy), you are lucky.  You are the exception, not the rule.

When starting a business, it’s important to plan and have enough resources to get you through the first difficult year.  Don’t start too large!

When it comes to building your brand, just like making money, it takes time.  The most important part of building your brand is consistency.  There is no old adage or definite time frame when it comes to having a strong brand that is easily recognized. However, not being consistent in your branding will definitely slow down the time it takes to build your brand.  As I mentioned earlier, building your brand and making money go hand-in- hand.  If your brand isn’t well recognized or perceived as a good value, your company will have a harder time being successful.  On the contrary, a company that has a brand that is well known and recognized as a good value, will be more successful.  Your brand helps you attract new customers and maintain existing ones.

It’s important that the work you put into positioning your brand is ongoing.  Don’t make the mistake of only working on your marketing and branding when business is good and there are a few extra dollars in your budget.  That strategy will take away from the effectiveness of your brand.

If you would like some more helpful hints and ideas for building your brand, we’d love to help.  Feel free to give us a call 540-295-5139, or drop us an email.

Yikes! I like the "new" Facebook

Don't Shoot Me.

I actually like it.

Why? It's simple. If you use Facebook for many different reasons (i.e. business, staying in touch with close friends, people who are just acquaintances, or personal updates that you only want family to see), it comes in very handy. It makes it harder to miss important news and lets you decided who you would rather NOT hear from (i.e. I don't care if you just used the bathroom for the fifth time today, and now I don't HAVE to hear about it), without hurting anyone's feelings.

Another example, I have secured many new clients through social media, therefore, it's important for me to have business contacts on my Facebook page to easily stay in touch and maintain that relationship. However, I don't think my business contacts want or need to know (as an example) if I'm planning a family reunion or a surprise party for my sister. In the past, I had to create a separate group just for my family to maintain contact with them separate from my business contacts. Now, I can do it all from one page.

If you just take the few minutes necessary to learn to use it correctly, it is a big help and SAVES you time and frustration in the long run.

As always, CWI Marketing is here for you, please feel free to contact us for help with any of your marketing needs.

The Ever Changing World of Business Etiquette

As long as there has been business, there has been business etiquette. Many manners from 20 and 30+ years ago, still apply today. For example, don’t wear so much perfume or cologne that people smell you when you pull into the parking lot. Don’t speak so loudly while on the phone that the person in the cubicle on the next floor can hear you (while we’re at it, keep personal conversations to a minimum). These are some of the common sense basics of office manners.

Today, there’s a whole new world of business etiquette that we need to be aware of, such as:

• When making presentations and emailing, use full sentences, not social media acronyms. Believe it or not, not everyone tweets or is on Facebook and some people have no idea what LOL, FTW, FWIW or IMO stands for (Laugh Out Loud, For the Win, For What it’s Worth or In My Opinion).

• While we’re talking about email, before you click “send,” think about how you would feel if someone forwarded it to the CEO of your company. If you would be uncomfortable with the company head reading it, you shouldn’t send it.

• When it comes to cell phones, keep them on vibrate while in the office or in a meeting. Seriously, if I’m on a conference call, I don’t want the person I’m on the phone with thinking I’m at a Lil’ Jon concert (WHAT? OKAY! YEAH!). Also, don’t set them on the table in front of you during a meeting; it is distracting and disrespectful to the person conducting the meeting.

• If you like to decorate your home with flashing neon lights, palm trees, grass skirts and that great picture of your spouse in their bathing suit to remind you of your wonderful honeymoon…GREAT! Don’t do it at the office. Your office space and cubicle should not be distracting, distasteful or disrespectful.

Basically, what this all boils down to is being considerate of others. Be considerate; use your manners and your common sense to avoid uncomfortable situations!

The Death of the Postcard

I understand how this may seem like a strange post from someone who is in the marketing and printing business, but my goal is to help my clients to be successful.

I'll cut right to the chase.....Unless you have a history of seeing results from postcards, I don't recommend them.

There, I said it.

Recently I conducted a poll in which I asked a two part question. With the first question I asked what people do with sales postcards when they received them in the mail. The majority said they simply threw them away without even reading them. Not a single person saved the card. I've been saying for a long time that you have about 3 seconds to get someone's attention and get them to read your post card. Question 1 supported that point.

I've also been saying that, in most cases, postcards are a waste of your marketing budget. Question 2 supported that point.

In question 2, I asked if a postcard had ever influenced a buying decision. Not a single "yes." Not. a. single. one. All the time and money spent didn't get a single person to buy a product.

With the advent of social media, email marketing and the slew of other effective marketing tools out there, the next time you are tempted to spend hundreds of dollars on postcards, save a few trees AND a few dollars; invest your money elsewhere.

As always, CWI Marketing is here for you, please feel free to contact us for help with any of your marketing needs.

Facebook Releases a Guide to Marketing on Facebook.

acebook has published their “Best Practice Guide: Marketing on Facebook.” This guide gives ideas on how to foster product development and innovation, generate awareness, increase traffic and sales, build loyalty and deepen relationships, gain insights, as well as meet several other objectives. While this guide is specific to Facebook, many of the helpful hints they list can be used anywhere in social media. If you’ve read my blog before, portions of it will be familiar, as the advice they layout covers some of the topics I have tacked before (i.e. engaging your clients, interacting with them, building relationships).

If you are new to Facebook, new to business or are interested in kicking up your Facebook page a notch with Facebook advertising, plug-in’s, etc., then this guide will be very helpful to you and I would recommend checking it out.

If you would like to read the Guide (it's not too long, only 14 pages), click here:

As always, if you need help with creating your Facebook business page or any other social media projects, contact us. It would be our pleasure to help!

Five Great Reasons to Use Online Videos

1. It helps your Google rankings. Did you know that Google owns YouTube?

2. It helps build your brand. If you read my blog, have been to any of my classes, or simply have NOT been living under a rock the past several years, you know how important it is to build your brand!

3. It’s an opportunity to present yourself to potential clients in a way that words just can’t. It helps people to connect with you.

4. It allows you to offer a more effective presentation of your product (i.e. in real estate, a video tour of a home can have much more pizzazz than simple pictures. Not to mention, gives the potential buyer a better feel for the home).

5. To get started is easy. You can start with a simple power point presentation and convert it to a video. If you are camera shy, your video doesn’t have to include you. In addition to the benefits stated above, simply having video helps keep people on your page longer and enables you to tell a story in a more visual way.

If you need help with online video creation, if you already have a video and simply need it edited or if you need a Power Point presentation converted to video, contact us. We’d be happy to help!

Community Involvement....a Blog for Thought

CWI Marketing routinely presents at workshops in our community. What does your business do to help your community?

Community involvement is an important part of any business. Not only is giving back simply the right thing to do, it also builds trust and respect in your community and who doesn't want their business to be trusted and well respected?

There are many ways your business can volunteer to help in your community:

Are you a real estate agent or a mortgage broker? Why not sponsor a first time home buyer's course for the members of your community? Now really is the best time to buy, but it can also be scary and confusing for first timers. Give them someone to turn to.

Own a local sports equipment store? Sponsor a little league team.

Allow your employees to donate some of their time to local charities during the work week.

Are you a florist? Offer a class on how to make centerpieces, corsages or other floral arrangements at the local senior center.

There are literally hundreds of ways you can donate your services. Take the time to help out in your community. Giving back is not only good for you, it's good for your business!

As always, CWI Marketing is here for you, please feel free to contact us for help with any of your marketing needs or ideas on how to help in your community.

Marketing Trends 2011 - What's In and What's Out

WHAT'S IN:

Mobile/text marketing.

Did you know that mobile phones outnumber computers 4 to 1? Just about everyone has a mobile phone in their pocket, purse or somewhere close by. The use of apps, mobile coupons, etc. is a great way to quickly and easily reach out to clients and motivate them.

Personal Relationships.

The social media explosion has created more consumers wanting further personal communication. Consumers want to know that they are important individuals, not just some group of clients you are trying to sell to.

Interaction.

Get feedback from your clients. People love to tell you what they think, so give them the means to do that.

Coupons.

Yes, coupons. There is even a show on TV all about people who save hundreds of dollars every time they shop just by using coupons. With the advent of mobile coupons for smart phones, iPads, E-readers, etc., coupons aren’t just for clipping anymore.

Outsourcing.

When it comes to marketing, there is so much to do and keep abreast of. From technology, to analytics, to strategy, to marketing plans and ad campaigns, to graphic design and print materials. Most companies have an in-house marketing manager, but are finding that it’s more successful to outsource particular portions of their marketing effort. It can also be more cost effective.

WHAT'S OUT:

Postcard marketing.

In most cases, it just doesn’t work in today’s world. A majority of people simply throw them out. There are still a few markets where postcard marketing can work, but a lot of the time, the return on investment isn’t worth it.

Target Markets.

While it is important to know who your target market is, it’s more important to treat customers as individuals and not focus so much on putting them in any one particular group.

Dictation.

Don’t just tell your clients what they want or what they need. Ask them.

Rebates.

People still love a rebate, especially in these economic times. However, the ease of simply using a coupon at the time of purchase attracts more customers than offering a rebate.

Trying to do it all yourself.

Some businesses try to save time and money by doing it all themselves. What they are finding is that instead of getting everything done effectively, they are only getting some things, halfway completed. This is a recipe for disaster.

Of course, this is just a sample of some of the new trends in marketing for 2011. If you would like to know more about what is on the horizon and make sure your company is ahead of the curve, please feel free to contact us.

Say WHAT? Social Media Misconceptions

I was recently told that 20% of small business owners don’t believe their clients use social media and 27% weren’t sure about it.

Say WHAT?

62% of the adult U.S. population is on Facebook alone. That’s 139 million potential clients. What about Twitter? There are currently 105 million users on Twitter. If you are not using the internet or social media, you are missing a major opportunity to market yourself and bring in new clients. And, don’t get me started on the potential to reach a global market! There are currently more than 1.5 BILLION people connected through the internet worldwide. Think BIG! Don’t limit yourself to your surrounding area.

I have also heard people say, “But my clients are older and they don’t use the internet.” Wrong. In one year alone, internet users age 50+ went up from 22% to 42%. Oh, and guess how many 70-75 year olds are online? 45%!

A majority of people go online and do research prior to purchasing anything. ANYTHING, not just online purchases. From a house to a pair of shoes, people go online prior to walking out the door. Make sure you have an internet presence. It is no longer enough just to have a web site. Using social media is key to building a successful business.

As always, CWI Marketing is here to help. If you would like help with your social media, please feel free to contact us.

Postcards/Mailers and Email Marketing Tips

Direct mail advertising as well as email marketing via email newsletters and/or email blasts works to build customer loyalty. It’s an easy and effective way to stay in contact with your customers and tell them they are important. Research shows that 68% of customers that don’t return to a company say that the company never contacted them, was indifferent, or had a poor attitude. Here are some things to remember:

1. Think Fast! Remember, when doing a mailer, you have 6 seconds to get someone to open the piece. Once opened you have 11 seconds to get them to read it.

2. Ditch the Sales Pitch. Don't try to close sales directly from your postcard or email. You don't have enough space to provide all the information most prospects need to make a buying decision. Instead, use this opportunity to generate sales inquiries.

3. Motivate. Begin by briefly stating the major benefit(s) you offer. Then use the remainder of your postcard/mailer to motivate readers to get more information from a source where you can close sales, such as at your web site or from a phone number they can call.

4. Get Right to the Point. Postcards are delivered "ready to read". Take advantage of this. Get right to the point to capture the reader's attention immediately. This makes it difficult for prospects to avoid reading your postcard - especially if your entire message is brief and easy to read.

5. Watch Your Timing. Send your postcards, mailers and emails so they arrive on Tuesday or Wednesday. The volume of mail delivered in the US on those days is usually the lightest and your postcards won't have to compete with a lot of other mail delivered at the same time. Try to avoid having your postcards delivered on Monday. It's usually the biggest mail delivery day of the week and a very busy day for most people. The same goes for email marketing, avoid Monday and Friday. Most people have a very full inbox on Monday making it easier for your email to get lost in a sea of other emails. By Friday, most people are just trying to hurry and finish up before the weekend, making it less likely that your email will actually be read.

A final note, make sure your employees understand and reflect your message and brand and are familiar with your direct mail and email marketing campaigns.

As always, we are here to help with any of your marketing campaigns. Contact us for help with your email or direct mail marketing projects!

Why Hire a Marketing Company?

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.

To Grow or Not to Grow? THAT is the Question.

When I decided to start providing marketing and printing to the New River Valley the goal was simple; provide small businesses with the marketing tools they need to be successful and compete with the “big fish.” I am so happy that this goal has been met. The goal with this business was never to make tons of money. I know a lot of people start businesses with the goal of making big bucks, not me. Being able to help contribute to family finances, help small businesses in the area in order to help the local economy (in some small way) and also having a creative outlet are the motivating factors for me. I love doing graphic design, the personal interaction with my clients and actually helping small businesses compete, grow and succeed. That is what makes it worthwhile.

Many of my small business clients were previously unable to market themselves effectively due to the fact that they didn’t know how to or did not have the necessary funds. Because CWI Marketing & Printing is a small business, there is very low overhead and I can offer exceptionally affordable pricing. Now, my clients are proud of their logo, brand and marketing campaigns. That makes me extremely happy for them.

The problem I am now facing is a good one, a problem that I am so very thankful for. There are some “big fish” clients (yes, more than one) who want to hire CWI. They have seen my work, spoken to past and current customers, met with me and really liked my ideas and what I can bring to the table. I have to admit, it’s a great feeling to know that people really like my work. It is also extremely satisfying to know that my customer’s are happy. However, if I move forward with these “big fish” isn’t that going against my original goals? Am I saying to all of my current, very loyal clients that I’m abandoning them to move on to bigger and better things?

Another concern is time. I’ve worked in the corporate world where 60+ hours per week was not at all uncommon. When you don’t have a family of your own, that’s easier to manage. I now have a husband, two kids and a dog and I love them all very much. They are my priority. One of the reasons I like keeping my business small is that it’s easier to manage. I don’t want to grow to the point that my children are spending more time without me than with me. If I take on the “big fish,” it will take more time away from family.

I could hire employees or contract out the work and that is something I am considering and researching. There is a lot to think about and I’m thankful to be facing this dilemma. Stay tuned!

2010 Marketing Trends

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.