Mid-Missouri Marketing Resource Blog

Originally published 9-28-2015. Updated 9-11-2020

Let’s see if this story sounds familiar… a local business owner spent months researching her marketing options. She knew she wanted to be on a few radio stations. Her competitors were on TV, so she was interested in options on a local channel, and of course she knew she needed to be online, though she wasn't sure exactly where or how. Her employees insisted she should put a coupon in direct mail, and a close friend swore she'd regret it if she didn’t do billboards.

According to Nielsen, 92% of Americans listen to radio every week. Compare that to the number who consume television on a weekly basis; surprisingly, just 87%. Podcasts bring up the distant rear with a mere 22%.

Across all demographics, radio is the most popular form of media in America. For adults ranging in age from 18 and up, radio reaches between 90 and 94% of them all. But why is radio king? How has it enjoyed such an enduring reign? Here are some likely reasons:

This is one of the main differences between business owners who experience success and those who are just trying to stay afloat. All successful businesses have a clear marketing strategy that makes everything they do more effective.

Many small business owners get overwhelmed with daily marketing tasks like sending emails, tweeting, advertising, blogging and so on, so they aren’t taking the time to work on the decisions that’ll improve the performance of their tactics.

Strategy is simply the decisions you need to make so your tactics work better. Your marketing strategy is the foundation for creating awareness, generating interest, closing new sales, and continuing customer engagement.

Your marketing strategy guides your company culture, your products and services, and your pricing.

Here are a few keys to consider when creating a strong marketing strategy:

Of course we’re going to say “YES” – you knew we would. You also know a simple Google search will produce a myriad of articles explaining why radio advertising works. What you probably DIDN’T already know is that radio works so well, it can actually work against you. But that is entirely within your control – and that’s what this blog is about.

The formula for determining whether radio is going to work for or against you is startlingly simple;

Are you delivering on your promise to customers? YES = radio will accelerate your businesses’ growth. NO = radio will accelerate your businesses’ downfall.

Originally published 9-22-2015. Updated 8-14-2020

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: advertising is an investment, not an expense. In the first of our 12-part series on causes of advertising failure, we’ll delve into the marketers desire for instant gratification, and why it’s an unfortunate approach when it comes to your business.

We get it, advertising, especially as a small business can be a pill. You don’t have a large budget, and chances are you don’t have the time to really sit down, study your books and create a solid budget. We understand. Yet, regardless of these roadblocks, the bottom line is, that if you want your business to succeed, you’ll must allocate dollars to advertising. Viewing your advertising as a long-term investment will make an important difference in your advertising efforts. Advertising is not about instant gratification. If all you can see is the money, you’ll discover quickly that the amount you make probably isn’t worth the amount you’ve spent. However, if you can look past the advertising bill, to the much bigger picture: building the long-term future of your brand, as well as the short-term gain of sales, you’ll realize that advertising is worth every dime and minute spent.

So, you’ve put a logo together and slapped a few bullet points down on paper. Does that count as a brand strategy? Not really. Business owners should know why they choose certain strategies, and they should make a detailed outline of what their strategies will be.

The more detailed you are in your branding strategy, the easier it will be to succeed when you execute those strategies.

Here are three things every brand needs to define:

• What is your brand’s objective?
• Who are your customers?
• How does your brand define long-term success?

Knowing the answers to each question will help determine what your goals should be, how you should approach your customers, and how you’ll track results and ROI.

In addition to having a solid strategy, here are a few more steps you can take to help build your brand:

Chipotle started something. In 1993, the first Chipotle restaurant opened in Denver, CO and gave diners something new. It wasn’t quite fast food, but it was fast. It wasn't quite a buffet, but you got to choose what foods to put on your plate. It wasn’t quite a formal sit-down restaurant, but the food was higher quality than a #1 cheeseburger &  fries combo from a drive-thru. Chipotle launched a fast-casual restaurant concept around personalized dining. And patrons loved it. They gave diners a choice and allowed them to personalize their experience. Since then, that concept has revolutionized more than just the restaurant industry.

Marketing automation is a valuable asset to add to your overall marketing strategy. Using a marketing automation software platform, you are able to streamline your work processes, build strong customer leads, and become more efficient with your time spent on marketing overall. When you are working hard at nurturing leads and trying to increase revenue, it's important to consider the numerous benefits of marketing automation.

Millennials are the largest living generation that every brand wants to charm. It’s not an easy thing to gain their attention and keep it. In fact, studies show that millennials are less likely to respond to traditional advertising tactics which is one of many battles to overcome. 

Lucky for you, we have cracked the code on marketing to millennials. Here are some tips on how to market to those 35 and younger. 

McDonalds is one of the most easily recognized, well-known brands in the world. If fact, you would be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t at least heard of McDonalds and most have visited a franchise more than a few times. They maintain their immense reputation for stellar recognition and brand awareness through consistent branding, advertising and being willing to adapt to an ever-changing marketplace. Here’s some marketing lessons we call learn from McDonalds, one of the best in the business at knowing and employing relevant, effective marketing practices: