Automatic Merchandiser serves the business management, marketing, technology and product information needs of its readers including vending operators, coffee service operators, product brokers, and product and equipment distributors in print.
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counties, parts of states or multiple states. Therefore the large cost of national or international promotion is a non- issue. On the local level, the number of available tactics is kept to a manageable and affordable level. First — build a great Website — Even if you spend money on nothing else, make sure you invest in a truly effective Website. Every interaction that you have with any prospect anywhere will result in a Web visit. So you need to be ready with a top-notch site. It is the 24/7 sales rep for your company. Drive Web traffc — Once you have a great site, make sure prospects can fnd it. Many operators use local search engine optimization (SEO) to secure high rank on Google. The cost of an effective pay-per-click campaign is very low and will probably be the best marketing value you can fnd. Don't worry about wasting your money reach- ing out to customers outside your territory. Today, you can create "hyper-localized" programs that will display your SEO ads only to those customers within the local parameters you set. Connect on social media — Most people think of social media as a tool to connect with millions of contacts all around the world. That's true. However, social media is also a great way to stay in touch with your local commu- nity. Just like SEO, social media can be hyper-localized to target your territory. The casual style of social media also lends a more personal touch to your messaging that can help customers get to know your brand. Invest in direct response — The best way to reach a targeted audience is through direct response channels like direct mail and direct e-mail. Many regional marketers fnd that direct response is much more effective than local advertising. With direct response you have total control over what your message says and who sees it. A high-impact direct mail piece with the right message to the right list will fll your pipeline with the leads you need. Don't let budgets hold you back Great marketing needs to be strategic, targeted and cre- ative — but it doesn't need to be cost prohibitive. So release your brands, fre up those personas and get those mail pieces sent out. Join the marketing movement in the vending industry. Invest what you can and make a big impact with your budget. About the Author Rich Carango is president of Schubert b2b – a full service business-to-business marketing agency. Carango has more than 15 years of experience helping clients in the vending industry build preferred brands. He can be reached at 484-631-5916. April 2014 VendingMarketWatch.com Automatic Merchandiser 43 ROCK LINE PRODUCTS INC. NOW SERVING BOTH COASTS! 1480 Arrow Hwy. La Verne, CA 91750 Phone 909-392-2170 / Fax: 909-392-4651 www.AirTow.com GROUND-LEVEL LOADING No ramps - No tilt beds - No Lift gates! Full Air Suspension! Super smooth ride! WHEN SAFETY IS KEY, AIR-TOW IS THE ONLY CHOICE! Loading at ground level is safer and requires less labor. In many cases Air-tow trailers are replacing expensive trucks with dangerous liftgates. Many different sizes and capacities from which to choose. 800-479-7975 **DEALERS WANTED** Trailers Air-tow Air-tow autm_38-43_0414BusinessBasics_F.indd 43 3/25/14 3:01 PM