BY JILL NAGY<\/p>\n
When it comes to using e-marketing to promote
\na business, the landscape keeps growing
\nand “there are more choices, more options, more
\nroom for errors,” said Julia Ingersoll of Allegory
\nStudios in Saratoga Springs, a marketing firm
\nthat helps businesses develop digital marketing
\ncampaigns.<\/p>\n
In deciding what to do, a business owner
\nshould begin by defining the culture and brand
\nof the business and design its advertising to
\nreflect that, Ingersoll said. In addition, the business
\nowner should look at the business’s ideal
\ncustomer and ask where that person is located.
\nBefore joining a network, she advised, find out
\nwho else is on it.<\/p>\n
Beth Moeller of Interactive Media Consulting,
\nalso in Saratoga Springs, agrees. Begin by
\ndeciding who you are trying to reach, she said.
\nThe variety of media available can seem overwhelming
\nbut, she noted, different media suit
\ndifferent audiences.<\/p>\n
For example, a business trying to reach
\nconsumers might try an email newsletter. Restaurants,
\nhotels and the like may do best with
\na FaceBook page. Someone trying to convey a
\nmessage from business to business, could benefit
\nfrom a LinkedIn account, she said.<\/p>\n
Sara Mannix, founder and CEO of Mannix
\nMarketing in Glens Falls, suggested that, for
\nmost businesses “the first stop is your website,
\nthe foundation of any digital marketing plan.”
\nShe said, “a properly-built website is like a instore
\nin the middle of a busy mall. People happen
\nupon it naturally, browse and buy.”<\/p>\n
To test whether a website is functioning
\nproperly, she said, “you should be able to Google
\nyour keywords and find your business on the
\nfirst page.”<\/p>\n
For a small business, in particular, digital
\nmedia can offer a cost-effective way to get out
\nthe company’s message.
\n“Every business has to make every dollar
\ncount,” Ingersoll said. “Usually paying for advertising
\nis not in the budget of a small business.”
\nElectronic media are far less expensive to
\nuse, in both money and time, than traditional
\nadvertising.<\/p>\n
Ingersoll provided two examples: Someone
\nproducing children’s lunch boxes may want to
\nreach “fashion forward moms.” One approach
\nwould be to team up with a local parenting
\nblogger to provide a series of blogs about healthy
\nlunch options. A company that cleans commercial
\nkitchens could reach potential clients with
\na program explaining OSHA safety standards.<\/p>\n
All three of the companies offer advice and
\nassistance to businesses venturing into the world
\nof electronic media. Mannix, for example, offers a
\nfree digital marketing review to help companies
\nsee what is working and what is not. They also
\nprovide training.<\/p>\n
Mannix finds that most small businesses “dive
\ninto social media and love it.” However, she recommended
\nprofessional training. “Social media is easy to do. Social media marketing requires
\nexpertise to do it right.”<\/p>\n
Interactive Media Consulting calls its introductory
\nprogram Social Media Jumpstart. They
\nwill walk people through the process of, for example,
\ngetting a FaceBook page up and running.
\nFor an email campaign, they will help set up a
\ntemplate that reflects the company’s branding.
\nThey provide training and documentation to
\nhelp a business’s employees run the program.<\/p>\n
Allegory Studios has spent 15 years as a brand
\ndevelopment company and they build on that
\nexperience. They begin with a culture survey to
\nhelp define a company’s culture and personality
\nand then help the company use that information
\nas guidance for blogs, advertising, and other
\npromotions.<\/p>\n
“It’s frequently better to define yourself,”
\nIngersoll said. “You may turn off some people
\nbut you probably don’t want them on a longterm
\nbasis.”<\/p>\n
All three experts said electronic media can provide
\neffective and cost-effective means of promoting
\na small business if it is used correctly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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