As I continue to present what I consider to be the essential rules for business owners who want to market themselves effectively, based upon The 16 Monumental Secrets of Guerilla Marketing presented by Jay Conrad Levinson in his national bestseller Guerilla Marketing, the next principle is ARMEMENT.

In his book, Levinson asserts, “Dictionaries describe the equipment necessary to wage and win battles as armament. The armament of the guerilla is technology. Armament is your computer, your online presence, your cellphone….your electronic connections within your business and within the entire world. The list is long and imaginative, lethal to those who deign to compete, regardless of their size and bankroll.”

It also goes without saying that forward-thinking business owners have largely embraced the many newer ways of reaching potential and existing clients while at the same time remaining consistent with their use of the traditional ones that are proven to work. The most successful campaigns blend a healthy mix of media as tools for optimal results, and as technology has progressed, there are so many more ways that companies in the marketing world have expanded their offerings too. For instance, Strictly Business began as a print publication only, utilizing the technology of the time to connect local businesses with our growing readership. Fast forward to today and when it comes to armament in the marketing department, we’ve evolved greatly with each advance in technology. We’ve assembled an arsenal of what we consider to be the most powerful tools, extending much farther than just our monthly publication, which work together to support our clients’ marketing efforts.

Consider the mileage of the news in our magazine as one key example. A press release that is published in the magazine has an extended shelf-life in and of itself, so through pass-along readership as well as being perused by visitors and employees in an office setting it’s seen by many more people than merely the person who grabs it out of the mailbox. It is then posted to our website, with modifications made to enhance search engine optimization (SEO). The link to this press release is then shared with the client, who should share it via email or on their various social media channels with their friends and clients.

Just to demonstrate exactly how far our online presence has come, our page views went from a total of 198,716 in 2013 to 321,313 views at the close of 2014—an increase of approximately 61.7% in the course of one year! Per day, that would be about 880 views and with the added connection to social media platforms, this traffic is expected to continue rising at an exponential rate. It’s no secret that the connections you are able to make are central to the success of your business, and the more (and smarter) you use your armament to facilitate these, the more success you’ll enjoy.

But as a key rule with armament, proceed with caution. Competition is fierce in today’s marketplace and it all comes back to being mindful of how you utilize the tools in your armory to promote yourself, as human beings almost always gravitate towards doing business with people and not entities. While employing technology is advantageous in getting you and your business known and delivering your message to your target audience, at the same time you don’t want to be a name without a face as YOU are truly your own best weapon. If someone needs a product or service you provide, you must to be the brand they think of and if you are able to accomplish this it means you’ve utilized your armament to its full potential and profits will follow.

Call Paige Zutavern today to find our more about FOCUSING ON YOUR BRAND 402-730-0096