How do you build a successful company? You have to start with the right tools.
I recently bought a table from IKEA. As I prepared myself for the inevitable onslaught of expletives and bandaged fingers, I pulled out the hammer and screwdriver from my utility drawer. While I was organizing all of the pieces to get started, my mind drifted to the power drill that I had recently purchased (for jobs around the house… you know, like this one.) The problem was I had just stowed it in the closet waaay up on the top shelf. I was feeling irritated about having to go pull out the step stool and climb up to get it but the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was going to take me two or three times as long to finish this project if I did this manually. And besides, what the hell did I buy the thing for if not to use it?!
This brings home a very important point. Your business tools can make or break your company. Professional service means professional tools or so it should. When you run a business, there are certain things that you must have – Tools for small business. Without them, you are less efficient, less professional and ultimately you will have a less successful company.
Tool #1 – Your Website
One of the greatest tools you have at your disposal as a business is your website. This is the online face of your company. It gives visitors information about who you are and what service or product you provide. Your website generates leads and new business. It helps you to be found by people who need your help.
In 2016, 46 percent of U.S. small businesses didn’t have a website for their company, according to a report released by business-to-business research firm Clutch.
Too many companies treat their website (If they even have one) as a second thought. To succeed in business today, you have to have an online presence. Period. Social media is not a substitute for a well designed, properly optimized website. Without a website, you are not considered a legitimate business and you will have to work that much harder to build a viable customer base.
Tool #2 – Your Branded Materials
Your logo, business cards, and brochures. These, in tandem with your website, communicate to prospective clients your Brand Promise. They speak to the nature of your goods and services and speak to the type of company they can expect to encounter. Crappy materials, crappy product. It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not. In this case, the perception = reality.
Tool #3 – Your Email List
Here is another overlooked tool. Email is still one of the most effective marketing tools in a company’s arsenal. It’s like leaving money on the table.
A June 2016 survey of US marketers conducted by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) and Demand Metric found that email had a median ROI of 122% – more than four times higher than other marketing formats, including social media, direct mail, and paid search.
Tool #4 – Your Social Media Presence
When was the last time you checked to see how your company is represented online? Are you utilizing the best social media channels for your company? Do you know how to utilize metrics to assess your effectiveness?
At the end of the day, tools are there to help make things easier, more efficient and productive. Without a structured marketing plan and budget, you will be chasing behind your competition struggling to stay in the game.
The experts at 3D Studios are ready to help you grow your business or organization. We begin with a thorough assessment of your needs, your business process, target market, and prospective clients. We then work with you to develop a marketing plan to turn your processes into a lead-generating machine.
We Can Help
3D Studios helps businesses grow their influence and their brands. As a boutique brand management agency, we begin with a thorough analysis of your needs and partner with you to develop and execute a marketing plan that will help you take your business to the next level. To learn more about how 3D Studios can help you, visit us at www.3Dstudios.net or call 914-304-4229.
