Four States Small Business Blog

Why the Highest Performing Companies Treat Marketing as an Investment and Not an Expense

Posted by Mark Zimmer on February 7, 2017 at 8:30 AM

This may be the point in the year when you and your marketing team are taking a look back at the marketing efforts of 2016 and evaluating what exactly it cost your company. Or, if you’re a new business owner, you may be determining what kind of expenditure you’ll need to make to start advertising. Either way, there’s something important you need to remember to do: view marketing as an investment. Quite simply, marketing isn’t something that’s merely nice to have or a good idea that you can get to later, and the costs associated should never be considered without the ultimate impact it has on your bottom line.

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Topics: Marketing Strategy, Marketing ROI

The Power of Heritage Radio Stations and How They Can Boost Your Radio Advertising Results

Posted by Chad Elliot on February 2, 2017 at 8:30 AM

Many cities and markets have groups of iconic radio stations that have stood the test of time. Whether it be news, music or sports, these “heritage” stations have deep ties to the local community and are institutions in people’s lives and daily routines.

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Topics: Radio Advertising, Marketing Strategy, Joplin Market

Budget vs. Results: What You Need to Know So You Aren't Wasting Your Marketing Dollars

Posted by Mark Zimmer on January 31, 2017 at 8:30 AM

Invariably, what decision makers are looking for when evaluating any spending is results, and it’s no different when considering a marketing budget. Results are the only thing that matter when you get to the bottom line. In today’s article, we’ll touch on why you should be planning your marketing budget to get results, as well as help you put those results into perspective so that your marketing budget doesn’t get wasted.

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Topics: Marketing Strategy, Marketing ROI

Why You Need to Advertise BEFORE Your Customer is Making a Buying Decision, and Other Tips for Planning Your Advertising

Posted by Melanie Gaudette on January 27, 2017 at 8:30 AM

An essential part of any advertising campaign is consideration of the consumer buying process. Understanding and addressing the stages of the process at the top of the purchase funnel can influence whether the consumer buys from you or goes to one of your competitors. We’ve put together some tips for advertising aimed at the early stages of the consumer buying process.

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Topics: Marketing Strategy

The Power of Country Radio in Joplin, Missouri and Surrounding Areas

Posted by Mark Zimmer on January 25, 2017 at 8:30 AM

As far as music formats go, country stations have some of the most loyal listeners. This is especially true in the Four State Area, where country music reigns supreme.

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Topics: Radio Advertising, Marketing Strategy

5 Questions to Ask to Determine if Your Donation/Cause Marketing Budget is Actually Contributing to Marketing ROI

Posted by Mark Zimmer on January 23, 2017 at 8:30 AM

Contributing to local causes can help bring brand awareness and show corporate social responsibility amongst your community, which is why it is worth including it in your marketing plan. According to the 2016 Edelman Trust Barometer, 80 percent of consumers think that companies should make an extended effort to improve social and economic conditions in their region while increasing their profits.

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Topics: Marketing Strategy, Marketing ROI

7 Reasons You Might Want to Advertise on News Talk Formats

Posted by Melanie Gaudette on January 18, 2017 at 8:30 AM

Radio station programming has changed and evolved over the years, but if there’s one format that has remained steady, it’s the News. A recent Pew Research survey found that when people were asked where they got their news about the presidential election over the past week, 44 percent of them said news radio stations.

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Topics: Radio Advertising

When Radio Is and Isn't a Commodity, and Why Every Radio Station Spot Isn't Created Equal

Posted by Chad Elliot on January 16, 2017 at 8:30 AM

“You get what you pay for.” We’ve all heard that saying. Often, it turns out to be true. When it comes to radio spots, it’s almost always true. All radio ads are not created equal. The cheapest rate is not always the best way to go.

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Topics: Radio Advertising

How to Combat Low Trafficked Business Locations with Radio Advertising

Posted by Mark Zimmer on January 12, 2017 at 3:30 PM

For businesses located on a major road or in a busy shopping center, certain types of advertising work great. For example, a billboard alerting motorists that your restaurant is just ahead is a good way to advertise to hungry travelers. But if your business is located off the beaten path, you need to find successful advertising tactics to get customers in the door. A great way to do that is to drive traffic to your business with radio advertising, which has a proven track record of success.

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Topics: Radio Advertising

7 Parts to a Brand Strategy That You Need to Address Before Advertising

Posted by Pam Larimore on January 10, 2017 at 8:30 AM

When developing a new brand, there’s so much to juggle that it can be all too easy to focus on short-term needs at the cost of long-term goals. Perspective is important when developing something as critical as advertising, and that’s why you need to focus on brand strategy first. In today’s post, we’ll discuss the seven core aspects to a brand strategy that should be addressed.

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Topics: Small Business Resources, Marketing Strategy

Welcome to the Four States Small Business Blog!

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We’ve created this online space to provide the latest marketing trends, news, and best practices to small business owners and marketing professionals in Joplin, Missouri, and the surrounding Four States Area.

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