How Not to Market in Tough Times

By now you’ve seen enough “Marketing Ideas for Tough Times” stories to make you puke. They offer the usual tried, true and hackneyed advice—"stay close to your customers, listen to your customers, review your strategies, be even more responsive to your customers," ad nauseam.

Like you don’t do these things already?

Hell, what you need is more cash flow. In you found some new customers, you don’t need to be told that it’s good to listen to them.

So let’s a assume you have a little more time on your hands and instead of taking another yoga class, going swimming at Kaimana or playing tennis, you decide to take some of your extra time to market your services or products. In other words you decide it’s time to promote yourself. That could manifest itself in any number of ways--leveraging social media (tweeting, a Facebook page for your business or a LinkedIn InMail campaign), more visits to TechHui or HVCA functions or more "traditional' PR."

So how would you do your own public relations? What form would that take? Here are some suggestions:

• Write a column for the newspaper. Do you want the Governor to put the kybosh on 221? Do you want the Governor to support 221? Hate the way that Mufi is ramming the new train down our throats? Do you love the train and can’t wait for a city contract? Let the public know what you believe and maybe you’ll sway some people. However, just as importantly, let the public know that you exist. Yes, it takes some effort and some competence, but the newspapers generally will print Op Eds that are well written and timely.

• Get yourself on TV or on the radio. The TV stations are covering all kinds of technology (algae, alternative energy, etc) and so are shows such as Bytemarks Cafe. They may actually be interested in what you’re doing. This also takes some effort but hey you’ve got time on your hands.

• Blog, microblog (tweet), start a LinkedIn Group or enhance your marketing site with social features.

• Advertise. Well, yes and no. Advertising works better if you have a large media budget. (Of course sometimes it doesn’t work too well—like if you’re selling General Motors products). Sometimes strategically placed ads (like on TechHui) work, but generally, small companies are better served getting free coverage from the print and electronic media rather than buying ad space or air time. (Of course that’s my bias.)

Of course you could eschew all this marketing stuff, get out of the office and work on your golf or tennis swing.

Rob Kay, who many moons ago worked in Silicon Valley, is a Honolulu based PR consultant and writer. He can be reached at rkay@pactechcom.com.