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I heard my father say this when I was six or seven; it puzzled me for days then but makes perfect sense now. Including the right number in your business’s budget for marketing communications is just as important now as ever.

Clients often ask me “How much should I spend on marketing?” There’s no one-size-fits-all. Do you offer a niche product with a loyal following? Are you one of three pizza restaurants on your block? Is your market local, national or worldwide? The figures below are ballpark numbers but give an idea of what your competitors may be spending.

When arriving at the dollar amount, take into consideration how you’ll spend the funds:

• Developing and/or refining your brand and deciding how to best promote it (these include logos, websites, brochures, sales presentations, email campaigns, and more).
• Promoting and advertising online, offline, through public relations and social media.
• Educating your customer service people to be better advocates for your company.

Consider, too, the way that marketing is moving away from “push” toward “pull.” For example, instead of buying only traditional ads, you might add training articles or video clips to your website.

If you’re looking for direction in sorting through the best way to use your marketing communications dollars, email or call.

Suggested marketing communications budget for small to medium-size companies*

Annual gross income		Marketing communications budget
Less than $5 million		7 – 8 percent
$5-10 million		6 – 7 percent
$10-50 million		5 – 6 percent
$50-100 million		4 – 5 percent
More than $100 million		3 percent

*Call VIA to discuss reviewing a report focused on your particular industry.

A client recently asked the question: Does direct mail or email marketing work best in reaching new and existing customers? Using both methods is often the best choice.

Consider that people receive less snail mail and more email than ever before. Even if you have a twenty percent open
rate from an email you’re still missing eighty percent of
that audience.

Advertising is all about delivering the right message at the right time to those who want or need what you have to offer. The more times someone sees or hears from you, the more comfortable they’ll be with your product or service when it’s time to make a purchase.

Using more than one medium lets you target your message in different market segments as well. More mature audiences still prefer postal mail while younger audiences tend to respond to email, Facebook ads and other online messages.

Keep in mind that the ultimate success of any marketing effort depends on the relevancy and the offer. Tweak the offer and message to fit the audience. Track the results. Use what you learned to follow up with calls and additional email and paper mail communications.

Contact us for more ideas on reaching your target market.
Did you know?
We live in a mobile society!
• Every month, approximately three
percent of email addresses change.
• Approximately one percent of physical
addresses change every month.

Have you ever heard of a Thankathon? I recently heard the term for the first time during a nonprofit’s board retreat. The presenter asked how many people in the room had ever gotten a thank-you call after donating money or time to any organization or cause. Only one person raised her hand.

After a short discussion, this group decided to adopt the idea and soon will be splitting up their donor list to call to say thanks. Whether your business is nonprofit or for profit, whether you are a sole proprietor or have hundreds of employees, whether you make medical equipment or cut hair, it’s an initiative worth considering. No hidden agenda. No sales pitch at the end of the conversation. All that’s necessary is a pure and simple “thank you” to those who put their faith in you and your products or services.

If calling every one of your clients by yourself isn’t practical, think about other ways to connect and say thanks. Could you make two calls every day, year round? Split up the call list with key staff? Write notes? In this electronic age, receiving a handwritten note is something so unique that we post any we get to our break room bulletin board!

As VIA staff celebrates Thanksgiving with our families and friends, know that we appreciate and sincerely thank you.