The secret to effective marketing is your VCR!

This blog post was written by Rob Zodda, who works in creative services at Vistaprint and also has digital marketing experience.

No. We’re not talking about that outdated hunk of metal you’ve got hanging around your house. In this case, VCR stands for visibility, consistency and repetition. Industry experts agree that it typically takes about six impressions before a consumer even associates a particular product or service with a business. That’s why it’s so important for small businesses owners to keep “VCR” in mind as they market themselves.

Visibility
As a small business, simply being seen is of the utmost importance — and a great way to make sure that your business is visible is to start with several well-planned marketing strategies, all working together. Don’t rely solely on ads in local newspapers, for instance. Instead, get creative and try postcard marketing. Or think seasonally, and bring your marketing outdoors for summer with the help of signage.

You also need a business website so potential customers can find you online.  It doesn’t have to be groundbreaking, but it does at the very least need to highlight what your company is all about, explain your services and list your contact information. Potential customers are conducting searches online and you need to show up in the results. Or else, they’ll go to your competitors, who are online.

Consistency
Today, there is so much communication happening all the time, it can take a while for any one message to penetrate. Consistency is crucial to standing out from the crowd. No one can possibly recognize or identify with your message if it’s changing all the time. Everything from the logo to the wording to the color scheme on your marketing materials needs to be consistent. This isn’t to say that there can’t be any variation, but your marketing materials should always complement each other and be consistent.

Repetition
Say it over and over. Perfect the relevant message you want to get across and then repeat it…a lot.  You’ll get sick of your marketing campaign long before your customers do, because you’re exposed to it all the time. Your customers aren’t.  So don’t worry. Through repetition, you’ll train your customers to recognize your brand and distinguish your campaigns from all the distractions out there.

There won’t be many huge overnight successes, but with consistent and professional marketing, you’ll build brand recognition and establish your company’s identity over time. So keep VCR in mind and go forth with confidence.  As for your videocassette recorder, it’s time to get rid of that thing. You know you’re never going to use it!

Image: brad montgomery