I could really use some assistance planning a complete advertising and marketing strategy for my small business in Richmond, VA. The problem is that I don't know where to start.
I've been making decisions on advertising and such for the last few years, and I do not think that we are getting as much out of our advertising dollar as we could. It might be time to get professional help, but I don't know who to call or how much that should cost, which means that it will be difficult to choose the right person for the job. Like most small businesses, the budget is nowhere near what it probably needs to be...but if our marketing attack is successful, that (hopefully) won't be a problem.
Other assorted details: Business is located in Richmond, VA. Due to our relatively unique product, we attract folks from nearby metro areas as well (Hampton Roads area, Charlottesville, Fredericksburg, Petersburg, Williamsburg, Lynchburg, and even northern Virginia). Our typical customer is tough to nail down. Ages range 18 to 80. It's definitely biased towards men vs women, although that percentage is shifting a lot lately. The things that unite our customers? Many of them have done some traveling. Many of them are a bit smarter than the average bear. Most of them have at least a passing concern for the environment.
I don't want to be all self linky, but I should probably tell you what we actually do as that will help you smart folks answer my questions more effectively. We sell motorscooters. An obvious angle on this problem considering the current freakout over gas prices would involve the fuel economy of scooters, as the bikes get anywhere from 90-140 miles to the gallon.
Meandering intro out of the way, your thoughts on the following would be appreciated:
I've looked at all of the previous threads on local marketing and have prices for many of those ideas. What other ideas may be particularly helpful considering my product and potential customer?
What should I consider when sorting out which of those ideas and others I should try?
Is it in my best interest to get professional help with planning a complete marketing bonanza?
If so, how do I choose the right person for my business?
Got any fantastic recommendations on a professional in the Richmond area who would have a solid handle on what works and what doesn't in this area?
If I decide to go it alone, are there any must-read books that might help me sort this all out?
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First, I highly recommend Jay Conrad Levinson's book Guerilla Marketing as a great resource for ideas to promote a small business.
Second, I would say resources are always best spent in getting to really know your current customers as they are the best indicator of where you'll find future customers. You might want to allocate some funds to surveying current/recent customers to find out things about them and their lifestyle that would help you focus your ad $$.
You want to know more than just basic demographics. Where do they get their news? What websites do they frequent? What radio/tv/newspapers. What are their hobbies? What interests/sports, etc. A professional can help you put something together and get the survey's in the hands of the right folks. You could see if someone will do it for a flat fee (create survey questions, administer survey and write up results in a report).
Third, when you have this info start thinking about co-promotional opportunties--scooter giveaway with a local radio station (they'll give you huge air play) sponsor a scooter rally to raise funds for a local charity, scooter safety day at local schools, that kind of thing. If you partner with other compatible businesses/organizations you share costs and lower your ROI (return on investment).
Fourth--That brings me to the biggy--you need to track what you spend and what kind of results you get so if you do ads, you to "code" them so you'll know which sources draw in customers and which don't so you know where to spend your money next time.
Good luck!
posted by agatha_magatha at 10:25 AM on March 20