By: Robert Johnston
President & CEO, Exton Region Chamber of Commerce

There’s an old saying that goes, “if you always do what you’ve always done, then you’ll always get what you always got.” There are two major problems with this saying. First of all, the grammar is terrible! Secondly, it is one hundred percent false. Doing the same thing over and over again may yield the same results if we lived in a static, unchanging world. In reality, the world in which we live is always changing and therefore doing the same thing over and over will actually yield less and less.

Not only is our world changing, but it is changing at a faster rate than ever before. What areas are changing the fastest? Technology, communications, and marketing, and yes they are all related. Change is driven by commerce, commerce is driven by sales revenue, and sales revenue is driven by marketing. So it makes sense that as technology advances, marketing strategy will be one of the first areas to embrace the change. It wasn’t that long ago that having a website was an option for a small business – now it is a necessity. And not only does every business need a website, it had better look good, include a lot of valuable content, and present a positive image. More and more people will go to your website first, and from there decide if they want to do business with you or not. And not only does your site need to impress them once they land on it, but you need to design the site in such a way that they will find you when they are looking for you online. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is  a process in which you make it easier for search engines like Google and Bing to find your site when someone uses certain words in their search. This requires some thought around what words people might use when they are looking for your company, and making sure those words appear on your home page.

The latest trend in marketing is of course social media. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and whatever comes next, are the new face of marketing, at least for now. This is once again a technology-driven change, but along with the technology comes a new discussion around marketing strategy, message and branding. The goal with marketing on social media is to create something fun, exciting and entertaining that people will view and then pass on to their network of friends. This is viral marketing and it gets its name from the fact that it is passed around from one person to another like a virus.

But even in this face-paced, ever-changing world, there is still one form of marketing that remains more powerful than all the others combined – the personal relationship. Most people would still prefer to do business with someone they know, trust and respect. Likewise, most people would trust the referral of a friend or colleague over a testimonial by a celebrity or a publication like “Consumer Reports.” So as you are putting together your marketing plan, consider using some of the new technologies that are available – but don’t forget to get out of the office, shake some hands and meet some new people. Who knows, you may meet someone today that will turn into a lifelong customer and even a friend.

Need help with your marketing strategy?
Visit www.ercc.net/directory for a list of marketing consultants in your area.
Robert Johnston is President  & CEO of the Exton Region Chamber of Commerce, 610.644.4985