Can you actually implement nice marketing on a budget?

Definitely

Of course the over-priced promoting "gurus" or promoting reps won’t tell you this. These are the individuals who want you to believe "promoting" requires an huge investment over a prolonged period of your time--which will solely be done by the pros.

"Image," "brand," "awareness," and "exposure" they cry… as they inch closer and closer to your wallet.

Then of course they bewilder you with trade jargon just so you have got no way of understanding what’s being done and what sort of results you can actually expect with such a campaign.

That’s hard enough to stomach for a rich dealer, let alone a small, used car dealer who can’t fathom spending $3000 for a single ad merely to "get their name out there" and "hopefully" generate some leads.

However we’re here to tell you this whole marketing thing doesn’t need to be complicated or even that expensive. After all advertising and design companies want you to think it is, because that’s how they make their cash - charging small businesses, like car dealers, a lot of money to manage a process that seems very complex.

In reality, maintaining a top quality image and building a strong brand is truly pretty easy…and we’re about to teach you some high-end promoting and promoting tricks you can implement immediately-even on a budget.

Here’s the deal. A lot of what people assume about branding and image doesn’t really matter. What matters is that you simply sell cars. And from experience, spending a lot of money on a high-end design firm won’t essentially achieve those goals either.

Don’t get me wrong-- having a professional and polished image can make a big difference in developing trust with prospective customers. And a spiffy appearance will help you look bigger and better than you really are (and more safe than your other used automotive competitors).

BUT, it doesn’t need a small wealth to get the job done.

With the information given in this article, you’ll learn the tools and methods needed to freshen up your look and makeover your entire image - as well as your logo, business cards, stationary, website, and flyers - in about two weeks for not much more than a 99 Taurus at the auction.

So with that said, here are our top suggestions in beefing up your dealership’s marketing and branding efforts on a dime:

1. Don’t Waste Cash on "Perfect"- Good Enough is Good Enough

No one cares about your logo or web site more than you do. So don’t get worried and fanatical about the process and spend more money (and time) than needed on these things.

Simply shoot for a polished, professional and simple look. You don’t need funky, over the top or award winning designs.

Ideally, you‘ll want to work with a designer to make sure a clean and professional site or logo, but just know from the start you won’t want the most costly package or the unnecessary bells and whistles they have to offer.

2. Brandscending

Yes, we made this word up. It’s a hybrid of branding and transcend. What we mean by brandscend is to rise higher than ancient branding plan. Most people think branding is something that is accomplished over an extended period of your time with a ton of effort and cash. That’s true.

However that’s not the only method to achieve a strong brand presence and a solid image (that of course no one in the business can ever tell you).

Therefore rather than listening to the promoting reps and taking out an expensive "branded" ad for ten months straight just to "get your name out there", you’d do just as well with your money developing and maintaining a refined image and steadily using it in all your efforts --i.e. signs, commercials, mail, print ads, shirts, letters and site, to further promote the worth of your brand.

3. Company Identity

The standard worth for a company identity package (logo, letterhead, business cards and envelopes) from a reputable design firm is about $3,000. Ouch!

However did you know that several terribly gifted graphic designers moonlight as freelance entrepreneurs? And without the costly overhead of running a firm, their rates are A LOT cheaper. And by a lot less, we mean as much as 90% less.

Yes! Which means you'll get a complete and professional company ID package for as little as $300 by working with some on-line outlets. Merely search "company identity" on Google and you may find a long list of options.

Everything Else

Once equipped with your new look and emblem, you'll hire a native graphic designer (or one of the people you found online) to use that logo to your signs and banners. You can visit an embroidery store and have your logo added to golf shirts and hats. You'll find the best site to get unique name tags with your new design.

The sky is the boundary. You’ll be stunned how proud you'll be to display your new image in as many ways as you can. And you must - that’s how you make it pay off.

Who This Doesn’t Apply To

If you’re the sort of person who can need an executive board meeting to make a decision on new logos and the headline for your website these ideas probably aren’t for you.

Simply like it’s not always convenient to shop around or clip coupons for the best deal, you’ll have to be ready to be flexible and somewhat tolerant when addressing individuals via the internet. That’s the trade off to buy a brand new fancy look for your business for dimes on the dollar.