As business continues to grow in Atlanta and technology improves, the marketing tools used to communicate with consumers is expanding at a rapid pace. This is a blessing and a curse. The added resources and tools make it easier to communicate in a manner that is most appropriate for the type of service, but a marketing resource can become confused with so many options.

The first step toward marketing success is in how to develop and execute a marketing plan. For outside help, they can turn to a marketing firm or agency. If they choose to handle it internally, they can hire a full-time marketing resource (manager or director) or they can just devote a good amount of personal time to it.

After this determination, an owner needs to be aware of all the marketing options available to reach their target market-
-Signage
-Point of sale
-Collateral--brochures
-Direct mail
-Advertising--print, radio, television
-Internet-website, video, email
-Referral marketing-targeting strategic partners
-Trade show events
-Public relations

Due to the relatively excellent business climate in Atlanta, I've found vendors here to be plentiful and very reasonable. You can either use your marketing agency's resources or you can go find them on your own. I would suggest identifying a good graphic designer, printer and copywriter at a bare minimum.

Technology has allowed small businesses to present themselves both in wide-reaching presence as well as in productivity. A good example of this are autoresponders. By setting up emails that are sent out at set times and in response to certain requests by a prospect, timely and consistent information is delivered.

Some of the marketing options are less expensive while others, such as radio and tv or more prohibitive. A better consideration however is whether a marketing tool reaches the intended audience as well as the effective mix of different tools.

The marketing mix of these tools is of paramount importance. I've found that some professionals and industries lend themselves toward either a relationship-heavy or relationship-light marketing mix. What I mean is that for, say, engineering firms, an ongoing relationship has to be developed in order to secure business. Within this niche, direct mail will be less effective whereas target referral marketing will be critical.

I have a client who used to market their services (within the construction industry) using solely relationship-building direct mail. After review and collaboration with the customer in addition to some brief interviews of prospects, we decided to alter the approach of the mailing campaign to a deeper relationship-building style and re-shaped the web design in like kind. The results have been much greater in terms of closed business.

A plumbing contractor is an example of a professional that is relationship-light in nature. A plumbing contractor that sees a different client every day would be better off with a lead generating website and a consistent direct mail program. His/her relationships with the clients are shorter and involve less money than that of an engineering firm.

A specific approach for the plumbing contractor might be a referral marketing approach with other roofers and electricians, a direct mail approach to residences or businesses in the area, and a website that offers information on plumbing in exchange for gathering information and implementing an email campaign.

Dynamics change within markets but there are identifiable effective marketing mixes within each niche. A good marketing mind recognizes this dynamic and identifies the correct mix early. If the business owner decides to use an internal resource, then he/she must identify this mix early on or waste a significant amount of money.