How Do You Stack Up?

Here is a partial print marketer's checklist, which I think bears repeating. How well do your business development efforts stack up?

• Is your database growing? If you're prospecting, your database should always be growing. Data is at the heart of all marketing efforts. Maintain it, manage it, grow it.
• How often do you touch each contact in your database? Aside from establishing relationships, keeping your company top of mind is critical if you want to benefit from the instability that exists in today's print marketplace.
• If a prospect or customer were to visit your website, what would their perception of your company be relative to that of your main competitors?
• If a prospect or customer were to do a search for you online, would your company appear on the first page? SEO is more critical than ever.
• If a prospect or customer were to search their inbox or collection of marketing collateral, would they easily find materials or communications from your company?
• With so many people now utilizing social media, would it be easy for a client or prospect to follow you on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn? At the least two of the three?
• With client engagement so critical, does your company produce a branded newsletter that offers a) high value content and b) is a good harbinger of your brand?
• Is your company being proactive to assure your clients that you are staying abreast of the latest trends and technologies (think QR codes, PURLs)?
• In terms of promoting your company's marketing capabilities and services, does your company lead by example?

At the end of the day, most people will give their business to the company that is least likely to screw it up! Positioning your brand as a thought leader and fostering trust and credibility is the key to growth.