Four communications strategies for a down market

October 09, 2008 | Internet Marketing

In a weak economy, price becomes an even more important purchase determinant. But using exclusively price-oriented promotions is a slippery slope that can result in permanently reduced margins.

By focusing on price, customers are trained to wait for the next sale. So sale- and price-related promotions should be used sparingly.

Marketers must change their communications to provide an open channel with their customers and prospects. This translates to creating a variety of ongoing messaging that moves beyond a sales promotion to build relationships and to continue to be read using a variety of means, including e-mailings, onsite content, blog postings, RSS feeds, and tweets. Remember, consumers may take longer between initial research and purchase, do more comparison shopping, and look for ways to reduce expenditures.

Consider the following four types of non-price-related communication to engage prospects and build relationships.

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