Small Businesses Need to Maximize Marketing Resources to Grow Their Business

BEAVERTON, Ore., Nov. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Marketing and generating new business is the fuel to spur growth for small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs).  With shrinking marketing budgets, businesses have to make the most of their resources, while still remaining effective and ensuring a return on the investment (ROI). Denise O'Berry, SMB expert, offers recommendations on how to leverage each communication channel to its fullest through simple steps (for the complete article, please visit www.telephones.att.com/smb).

"Good marketing doesn't just happen, as it needs strategy and proper planning to effectively reach a target audience -- and that starts with the proper communication," said O'Berry, SMB blogger and author of Small Business Cash Flow: Strategies for Making Your Business a Financial Success.  "No matter what communication channel a business uses for its marketing, the bottom line is that they have to know the wants and needs of the people they are trying to reach. From there, today's technology can offer a lot of options to SMBs looking to make an impact with limited resources."

Hello! My Name is…

For a small business to survive, they have to get the word out through as many channels as possible. This can be an expensive and daunting task, but it doesn't have to be. O'Berry breaks down each communication channel and offers practical insights on how to take small steps that make a big impact. The following are highlights from her article:

• Phone -- Proactively call existing customers to find out who they know that might be appropriate as a potential customer.
• In-Person Networking -- Get out and make connections with other small business owners. Talk with other business owners who are interested in pooling resources, creating a marketing co-op that helps everyone.
• Internet -- Developing and maintaining a website won't take a huge chunk out of the marketing budget and it can be one of the best marketing tools available.
• Email -- Set up a weekly newsletter to share company news, tips and tools with a mailing list, as well as to provide special offers and opportunities for your customers.
• Social Media -- The hottest trend of the day is engaging customers and prospects using social media, such as Twitter® and Facebook®. Social media can provide good payback for a business, but only if there is a plan in place first. Use social media to compliment other marketing activities.

O'Berry's article on SMB marketing is another resource to help small businesses communicate as efficiently as possible.  Advanced American Telephones, which manufactures AT&T-branded home and office telephones under a license agreement with AT&T Intellectual Property, is helping build awareness for these tools at www.telephones.att.com/smb, through a Twitter profile (follow us at: SMBTelephony), and via a YouTube® channel (SMBTelephony).  

Equipment for Cost-Effective Communication

AT&T telephony products enable advanced communication solutions for SMB customers across multiple industries. Please see the product highlights below:

• Synapse™ Business Phone System: With up to 50 extensions, easy installation and management, this system expands as the business grows and is scalable up to 16 outside lines without adding unnecessary expenses. Plus, it offers the option to add accessory cordless handsets and headsets, so employees can enjoy mobile and private communication in larger work environments.
• SynJ™ Extended Range 4-Line Phone System: SMB employees work in a variety of places -- from small offices to large warehouses. The SynJ extendable range phone system provides cordless handset extensions, Push-to-Talk functionality, up to a half mile of extended range(1) (using DECT 6.0 repeaters) and mobile page and conferencing for the fastest communication possible.
• Cordless Headsets:  It is easier than ever to go hands-free at work with AT&T's light and comfortable cordless headsets. Ultra-convenient with multiple wearing styles, these headsets allow employees the opportunity to multitask and go farther from the base than most headsets(1).

About Advanced American Telephones

Advanced American Telephones (AAT) designs, manufactures and distributes AT&T-branded telephone products in the United States and Canada under a brand license agreement with AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P.  AAT is owned by VTech Holdings Ltd. VTech is a widely recognized leader in corded and cordless telephones.

Synapse and SynJ are trademarks of Advanced American Telephones.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates - AT&T operating companies - are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's fastest mobile broadband network. AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet and voice services.  A leader in mobile broadband, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse(SM) and AT&T | DIRECTV(SM) brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising. In 2010, AT&T again ranked among the 50 Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE® magazine.

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com. This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATTNews. Find us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ATT to discover more about our consumer and wireless services or at www.facebook.com/ATTSmallBiz to discover more about our small business services.

© 2010 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. 3G service is not available in all areas. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other ATT-related marks shown herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.  

Twitter is a trademark of Twitter, Inc. Facebook is a trademark of Facebook, Inc. YouTube is a trademark of Google Inc.

SOURCE Advanced American Telephones