How to Use Marketing to Help Your Small Business Deal with the Impacts of Rising Gas Prices

I like to watch NW Cable News in the morning while I eat my breakfast. Lately, it seems like every day there is something about the rising cost of gas. Now that it’s about to hit $4.00 in some places people are finally starting to realize that when oil costs $100 bucks a barrel, everything costs more. Not just the gas you put in your car.

The other morning they devoted a segment to the impact it’s having on our daily lives: from driving less, to buying less, to the rising cost of groceries.

Now, I know what I’m going to say next is going to piss some people off, but…

“I am so excited to see gas prices increase this much!”

Before you click away mad, hear me out.

First, I’m happy to admit I’m green through and through. I worked as an environmental educator for the Forest Service for years and I’m a huge outdoors person. I also studied Resource Management in college.

Second, I lived in Europe about 10 years ago, and at the time gas was easily $4.00 a gallon. People dealt with it. And they lived much healthier, more environmentally-friendly lives because they walked more and bought less.

Third, thanks to subsidies to the oil industry (I won’t get started on that subject), we’ve never paid for the true cost of petroleum. So we treat it like it grows on trees. And as a result we are going to kill ourselves right off the planet.

Finally, we live in a culture ruled by ease and convenience. Until something is painful, we aren’t going to do anything about it. Well, the cost of gas is a pinch in everyone’s pocketbook now. And changes are starting to happen as a result (still too slowly for my taste, but hey, you gotta start somewhere).

More people are biking and walking. Folks are realizing it’s cheaper to buy locally grown food than pay for shipping it. Cities are pushing for stricter standards in buildings and emissions. And people are spending less.

What does this have to do with you, the entrepreneur? Regardless of what industry you’re in, rising fuel costs are going to impact your business.

Maybe people won’t buy because they think you sell a luxury… Or they don’t want to make the drive…Or your costs (and prices) go up.

The big questions then are…

How is all this going to impact your business?

And what are you going to do about it?

Because you are likely going to have do, or change, something.

My suggestion is to invest time and money into creating really effective, well-thought-out marketing. Here’s why…

1) Changing the look, feel, message and voice of your marketing is the easiest way to change people’s perception of your product or service from luxury to necessity.

2) Changing your marketing tactics can also make your products and services more convenient to use.

I started creating and selling downloadable products, and offering teleseminars and phone consulting, so my clients can have access to me from the comfort of their home or office.

By offering people tons of practical, useful information for free and at a low cost through my Website, e-newsletter and blog (low-cost online marketing), they don’t hesitate to pay more for certain products, workshops or teleseminars. Because they know they’re going to get value.

3) Speaking of…The right marketing can also help you sell your products or services based on value, not price. Which is what you really want when everyone is counting their pennies.

So back to my earlier questions:

How is all this going to impact your business?

And what are you going to do about it?

Let me know…

[tags] marketing, help your small business, marketing your small business, business deal, small business deal, rising gas prices, gas, gas prices [/tags]