In a previous blog I wrote about Do-It-Yourself marketing. At the time I wrote that, I thought that was a good idea. I realize now that I knew just enough to be dangerous but not enough to be helpful. The complexity of today’s online marketing has exceeded my knowledge and I find myself attending many classes trying to teach this old dog some new tricks. Oh, the tricks I have learned. It’s much like other life lessons I have learned. Do not take apart something you can’t put back together. Don’t try to tackle jobs that you don’t have the proper tools for. Don’t try to lift something that you know you can’t carry. In general, don’t try to perform jobs that you aren’t qualified or trained to do.
Who does your marketing? In this business, marketing is a necessity to effectively grow your business. There is a distinct difference between advertising and marketing.
McDonald’s might be able to lure you in for a Big Mac through a TV commercial or a billboard and make you hungry by looking at a picture of a perfect looking Big Mac. You know, the kind you never actually receive in person but in the advertisement photos they look mouthwatering – even if it is only a Big Mac.
It is unlikely that you could lure someone in the same way by simply placing a giant photo of an 8-passenger limo on a billboard. People need to have a reason to charter a limo such as a wedding, a funeral, an anniversary, a quinceanera or retirement. If they don’t have a reason, they are not going to drop a grand on a limo because you put a billboard up on the side of the road. It is good marketing as people will remember your name, your logo and the big limo billboard but the sale is not immediate. Repeated exposure of your company name and logo is what builds business in the big picture.
This is why professional marketing is so important to your success. You have to create a top-of mind awareness that makes people remember your name through constant exposure of your name, logo and what services you offer. This can include many forms of media but the most logical choice for our industry means online exposure.
Online exposure can include social media, email blasts, newsletters, pop-up ads and many more options. It is because of all the options available that you need a professional marketer organizing your campaigns and deciding where you will place your ads, the frequency they will be shown and whether they will have a call-to-action button. Someone needs to decide how much you are willing to bid per click to drive traffic to your website. When they click to your website, what will they see on your landing page?
If you are not familiar with terms such as landing pages, CPC, analytics, metrics, SEO and keywords, you really need to hire someone that is thoroughly familiar. You may be great at serving clients and closing corporate travel planners but you must have the opportunity to meet with potential new clients in order to be successful. The TNC’s are nipping at your heels every day. You need to be in the face of perspective new clients as well as existing clients on a constant basis.
There are many dedicated marketing consultants in this industry. Rather than think of a marketing company being an additional expense, think of a marketing company as an additional source of income. Let’s say that you contract a marketing company for $1500 a month and sales increase $5000 a month from the marketing campaigns. Did you make money or spend money? We all know the old adage, “You have to spend money to make money”. Now is the time folks. If you don’t know what Hootsuite is or Constant Contact, you need some help whether you know it or not. Get your marketing game on by finding a marketing professional to help boost your sales.
Arthur Messina
Managing Director
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