Prepare Your Communications For Growth

As the American economy emerges from recession, many businesses are now reexamining their marketing materials and realizing that their communications are outdated, ill-prepared for the return of a robust, competitive, growing economic environment. Strategies developed to survive hard times are often the wrong ones for profiting in good times.

Here are five strategies for ensuring that your marketing is fully prepared for the economic recovery:

Promote the most optimistic tone possible. Now isn't the time to hide your strength or to conserve your energy - show your industry leadership by promoting a tone of bold optimism in every written work that represents your company. Every word of every sentence should be carefully crafted to project the good news that your company is doing well, growing strong, and standing ready to carry your customers' confidence to new heights in the coming year. There's simply no room for doubt or even neutrality in the words that represent you to the world.

Stress growth, not survival. Your business survived the recession - pat yourself on the back, but not in public. Some companies begin an economic recovery by merely reminding old customers that they still exist; don't be one of them. Instead, demonstrate how your business grew, evolved and improved in recent years - and is now providing more value to your customers than ever. In communications that mention the economic downturn, don't deny the facts, but present them as historic opportunities for your company rather than ordeals to be survived.

Stress benefits, not costs. A recessionary economy naturally forces companies into price wars, and customers instinctively associate price slashing with a down economy and a shrinking company. Analyze your marketing, take note of any aspect which promises lower costs than your competitors, and replace as many as possible with promotions of your greatest positive service benefits. When the growing economy allows for a price recovery, you don't want to be hamstrung by marketing that promises recessionary pricing.

Remember who your friends are - and why. Your core customer base is the reason you're still in business. Take a moment and thank them for their continued patronage. Take particular note of the reasons why your most loyal customers stand by you, through good times and bad. Ask them, if necessary. As the economy shifts gears, you have an opportunity to discover very profitable facts about your market that can go unnoticed in both recessions and expansions. Learn those facts and refocus your communications appropriately.

Finally, get back to basics. Now's the time to take a good look at your business, in light of long-term goals and your original reasons for being in business. Dust off your business plan, reload your mission statement, and evaluate your core communications in terms of the fundamental principles that make up your company; use your marketing to not only bring in new business, but to also inspire your company to grow great into the vision that gave birth to it in the first place.

Your written communications are instrumental to bringing your company's vision into the world; the coming year is going to bring great opportunity to those businesses prepared to take advantage of it.

As the economy shifts gears from recession to expansion, make sure your marketing does as well.

About The Author

Robert Warren (www.rswarren.com) is a Florida-based freelance copywriter specializing in the unique marketing needs of independent professionals.

writer@rswarren.com

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Google News Updated : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 11:50:43 GMT McCain calms supporters, urges respect for Obama - Los Angeles Times The Associated Press McCain calms supporters, urges respect for Obama Los Angeles Times - 2 hours ago 'NO MA'AM': Sen. John McCain takes a question from a supporter who called Democratic rival Barack Obama an Arab at a town hall meeting in Lakeville, Minn. McCain-Palin's hot rhetoric risks GOP backlash San Francisco Chronicle McCain Lauds and Attacks Obama in Same Day New York Times Boston Globe - Washington Post - Minneapolis Star Tribune - Reuters all 460 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 09:04:20 GMT Palin violated ethics law, inquiry concludes - International Herald Tribune Washington Post Palin violated ethics law, inquiry concludes International Herald Tribune - 1 hour ago By Serge F. Kovaleski NEW YORK: Sarah Palin, the Republican vice-presidential candidate, abused her powers as governor of Alaska by pressuring subordinates to try to get her former brother-in-law, a state trooper, fired, according to an investigation ... Palin ethics lapse cited Los Angeles Times Alaska probe finds Palin 'abused her power' Indian Express Baltimore Sun - Boston Globe - New York Times - Reuters all 4,043 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 09:58:28 GMT Morgan Stanley, Goldman May Gain Investment From US Treasury - Bloomberg Wall Street Journal Blogs Morgan Stanley, Goldman May Gain Investment From US Treasury Bloomberg - 7 hours ago By Christine Harper Oct. 11 (Bloomberg) -- Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs Group Inc., the biggest independent US investment banks, may reap cash infusions as part of Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's plan to buy stakes in financial institutions, ... As Stock Falls, Morgan Looks to Japanese Bank New York Times Morgan Stanley hangs on Mitsubishi's $9bn pledge guardian.co.uk Forbes - New York Post - New York Times Blogs - Barron's all 895 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:30:39 GMT Mugabe Hands Ministries to His Party - New York Times Voice of America Mugabe Hands Ministries to His Party New York Times - 52 minutes ago By CELIA DUGGER JOHANNESBURG - In a step likely to lead to the collapse of a painstakingly negotiated power-sharing deal, Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, in office for 28 years, has unilaterally declared that his party will retain the most powerful ... Mugabe 'gives Zanu-PF key posts' BBC News Zimbabwe's Mugabe hands key ministries to his party Reuters United Press International - AFP - Aljazeera.net - The Associated Press all 1,687 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 10:57:49 GMT Thai protest leaders released on bail, vow new rallies - AFP GulfNews Thai protest leaders released on bail, vow new rallies AFP - 20 hours ago BANGKOK (AFP) - Leaders of Thai anti-government protests were granted bail Friday after surrendering to police and immediately vowed new rallies, raising fears of mounting turmoil days after deadly street clashes. Video: Raw Video: Tear Gas Fired at Thai Protestors AssociatedPress PAD leaders surrender to Thailand police United Press International The Associated Press - Washington Post - New York Times - International Herald Tribune all 2,495 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:31:03 GMT Paulson Indicates Need to Purchase Bank Equity `Soon as We Can' - Bloomberg Ottawa Citizen Paulson Indicates Need to Purchase Bank Equity `Soon as We Can' Bloomberg - 7 hours ago By John Brinsley and Rebecca Christie Oct. 11 (Bloomberg) -- US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson indicated that pumping government funds into banks is a priority and said financial markets will remain volatile. US to buy shares in struggling banks Los Angeles Times Obama welcomes Paulson plan to buy equity in firms Reuters MarketWatch - International Herald Tribune - Bizjournals.com - Washington Post all 2,114 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:21:05 GMT Stevens's Reputation 'Sterling,' Powell Says - Washington Post Washington Post Stevens's Reputation 'Sterling,' Powell Says Washington Post - 8 hours ago By Del Quentin Wilber Former secretary of state Colin L. Powell told jurors in the corruption trial of Sen. Ted Stevens yesterday that the powerful Alaska Republican had a "sterling" reputation among the nation's military and political leaders. Reporter's Notebook: Powell Takes the Stand for Stevens FOXNews Powell says Sen. Stevens' integrity "sterling" Reuters CNN - Kansas City infoZine - The Miami Herald - ABC News all 2,865 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 03:13:53 GMT Turn Affiliate Datafeed into RSS Amazon Associate Store

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