For many businesses, the new year is a time to reflect on the successes of the past year and also look at the “opportunities for improvement”.  One aspect of any business that is often looked at with scrutiny is THE MARKETING side of the operation.

Regardless of how good your product or service is, if it is not marketed properly there won’t be a lot of sales. The competition for the paying customer is fierce. The slow economy of the past few years has forced a lot of people out of business and those that have remained have had to get creative to survive. There is also that percentage that has thrived in the new economy. Those that see the new opportunities and seize them.

Marketing products and services has evolved considerably in the last few years. It is not enough to have a great sign in front of your store, your footprint in the local paper or magazines. Businesses that thrive identify opportunities before they happen.

2012 will have a great deal of opportunities a pro-active business owner can capitalize on. The trends to watch this year will be:

Local Based Marketing – People will begin using local search engines and supporting companies in their communities; companies will need to increase local marketing efforts.

Mobile Marketing – According to Search Engine Land, more than 1/5 of all searches will be completed on a mobile device. The New Year means optimizing your website for this “mobile takeover.”

Social Media Marketing – SEO is no longer just for Google. Companies will use keywords to help people find their pages on a social media search

QR codes – Also known as “quick response codes,” these little barcodes allow people to scan the code on your ad using a smartphone. The code then takes them right to a website of your choosing.

Video Marketing – YouTube users are expected to grow, so video marketing is expected to grow. Create a podcast or YouTube video to help teach consumers about your company.

The time to start implementing is now! If you start ahead of the wave, you can rise with it. You and your business can ride the tide of new age marketing but you need to act fast, or you will be left behind.

Need help with a new marketing strategy? It does not have to be complicated.. We can help you put a simple, yet effective marketing plan that can generate a steady stream of customers to your business using a combination of the following:

• Proper signage to your business
• An image and brand strategy for long term success
• Online marketing to make sure your business is found by the thousands of people looking online for services and products just like yours.

We can help you put it all together in a cohesive, effective package to take your business to the next level of success.

Call us today at 323-253-4484

Or complete our contact form and we can call you at your convenience.

Have a prosperous new year!