Marketing is a complex activity. There are literally thousands of different media to choose from, and millions of ways you can communicate with your customers. The vast majority of these cost the participating businesses money.
I am forever being asked "Will X work for me?" or "What about Y?".
But some of these media are (literally) dying on their feet.
Take the Yellow Pages/Phone Book advertising market for example. I'd fashion a rough guess that this industry has more than halved in size in the last 4 years. Why? Well, because of the internet, of course. And the market's changing behaviour.
This week I, like many other individuals and businesses, received the Phone Book.
Both at home and at work this free tool, filled with hundreds of adverts, met the same fate. The ended up in the bin. Unopened.
They are of absolutely no use to me whatsoever. The only thing I felt remotely guilty about was that it couldn't be recycled. I use the internet if I need a phone number for a business or I'm looking for something in particular. I have done so now for years.
And in previous years, the Phone Book and the Yellow pages have had pride of place in their own drawer in the kitchen. But now I'd rather put the drawer to better use. I have no need to retain the clutter.
Other "marketing" materials to fall victim to the same treatment include numerous unsolicited direct mailers, magazine inserts, and let's not forget the "virtual" bin, email marketing campaigns and discount coupon offers.
So, the next time you are looking to put some of your hard earned income into marketing your business take a look in your bin first. You never know, it might just save you a LOT of money.
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