Four States Small Business Blog

Let’s do a thought exercise: A consumer wants to obtain a particular product, and they do the research to determine which brand they’d like to buy and which store to buy it from. They find it’s available from their favorite store, but while they want it right now, they know the store consistently runs regular discounts. Instead of buying it now, they wait until the next discount kicks in so they can buy it for a cheaper price. In this exercise, most of the advertising for the product brand and store worked. The consumer is successfully converted, the product solves their pain points and desires, and a sale is made. So what’s the problem?

At a time when consumers are digitally-connected around the clock, radio continues to be a reliable source for many things and stands out above the digital noise. Whether it’s hearing familiar songs, jamming out to today’s latest hits, getting critical information during a disaster, the latest news, or learning about important events in the community, consumers trust their favorite radio stations and personalities to get them the information they need when they need it. Also, radio proves to be an important channel for businesses to communicate their message to their target customer.

And now we’ve come to the third and final installment of our series about achieving small business success by generating powerful results with their marketing. As we’ve mentioned, there’s a three-part formula necessary for producing that success, whether it’s for a nationwide advertisement or local Joplin marketing campaign: branding, a business website, and a 21-52 marketing plan. In Part 1, we took a look at branding for small businesses, and in Part 2, we discussed why you need a strong business website.

There are four parts to the BrandsFormation system that will help you turn your business into a brand that’s a household name in your community—the Four States area, or beyond: Strategy, Strategy-based messaging, Consistency, and Dominant Frequency. But the real heart of the BrandsFormation system is uncovering your “difference maker.”

As the trend toward social responsibility has grown, brands are discovering that consumers expect them to demonstrate a desire to make the world a better place. A Cone Cause Evolution Survey indicated that, when price and quality are equal, 87% of consumers would switch to a brand that supports a cause. In addition, 95% of college students say they are more likely to pay attention to an ad that promotes a brand’s partnership with a particular cause. Such a partnership can be a win-win, benefitting both the brand and the cause with increased exposure and awareness.

Advertising is supposed to be a tool, and one that provides clear results for your business. You need to be seeing returns on your investment (ROI) for each of your advertising choices. If you aren’t, then why are you advertising? That’s just a waste of time and resources, not to mention a big waste of money!

One of the hardest lessons to learn in marketing is that building a brand takes time. While some lucky brands get struck by advertising lightning — e.g., TOMS, which first made headlines when it was barely a company, nearly tripling orders in one day and sparking even more news coverage thanks to its core cause — most companies have to work hard to carve out a place in their market. Even major brands, like beverage powerhouse Coca-Cola, have to build their momentum over time.

It’s a simple truth. Bad branding can mean bad business. It can give people a negative view of your company and negatively affect their experience. Branding is an expression of who you are as a company — your values, your integrity, and your mission. Brand management is vital to your company’s success because bad branding can cost your company in terms of perception and trust.

Welcome to our second installment of a three-part series that takes a good look how small business owners can run successful companies and generate results with their marketing. Last time, we mentioned that every company, whether they want to run marketing in Joplin, MO, or want to run a nationwide campaign, needs to enact a three-part formula for success — branding, a strong website, and a 21-52 marketing plan. In Part 1, we reviewed branding for small businesses.

There are more than 63,000 searches per second on Google. Your business should be among those searched for, and radio can help make that happen.