Ashley D. Su 
It is not a marketing element, but the whole thing. To be effective, your business needs both offline and online presence. It should use print and digital marketing tools. It needs both publicity (paid) and publicity (free). It’s the marketing mix that gets and keeps your business message “out there” in front of your target audience.
Here are five marketing mix tips to seriously consider and implement:
1. Brochures and business cards
Print marketing articles aren’t dead yet. Sometimes our technology doesn’t work as it should, and having that business card and brochure as a backup could save your marketing opportunity. Also, there are a lot of people who just need to have something in their hands to remember you by, so give it to them. Prepare your business card.
2. LinkedIn
Use this corporate social network as an extended business card. As people hear your name on the web and at conferences, chances are they’ll discover you on LinkedIn (I did). So fill out this profile and associate it with your website.
3. Website and blog
Your website is your digital home, so make it count. Let them know who you are, what you do, and how it could benefit them. And then solve a problem for free by answering a question that would interest your target audience. You can turn this answer into a small ebook or white paper to download, or turn it into a blog post. Just make sure it’s something that really helps, because you’re in the process of building a relationship, and “fluff and splurge” isn’t good for business.
4. Press releases
Use press releases to inform local media about your business and upcoming campaigns. Your company is probably hosting some awesome events, but no one cares if they aren’t lucky enough to find out about them.
5. Email
It’s about the relationship, and email is one of the most lasting ways to build that relationship, so take the time to grow your list. For a beginner, most of the initial work is getting the code and putting it on your web pages. But the email service you use should have a “how to” guide or page telling you what to do. Once you have your email subscription form code in place on your site, you can start focusing on what to send your subscribers each week or month. Remember that it’s consistent marketing that makes the difference.
Remember, it’s about consistency and the total marketing package. It’s up to you to believe in your business and spread the word.
Small Business Trends
5 tips to improve your marketing mix
Read more articles on small business trends »
