Marketing Resolutions for the New Year

Marketing Resolutions for the New Year

Develop practical marketing strategies for more customers

Marketing Resolutions for the New YearA popular New Year’s resolution for people is simply putting themselves out there by making new friends, socializing, networking and broadening horizons. For small businesses, this means developing practical marketing strategies to effectively reach more customers. Although this is really a daily pledge for a business owner, there’s no better time than the first of the year to re-examine what’s being done to drive new leads.

The security industry has evolved into a home automation industry. The old days of selling traditional 3-1-1 systems are becoming scarcer; interactive services have opened new doors for higher recurring revenue and a richer consumer experience. With a bundled security service, homeowners can remotely control their alarm, doors, lights and thermostat—maybe even their coffee maker.

Connecting with more people about this new technology requires security companies to maximize relatively new marketing channels using a budget that makes sense.

Starting a Website

The Internet has been a household term for nearly 20 years, yet amazingly, 60 percent of small businesses don’t have an online presence. Google research shows that companies with websites grow 40 percent faster, according to USA Today. So, if you’re part of that 60 percent, start up your computer...stat.

Start by factoring website development into your budget, including potential costs for promoting it. The Houston Chronicle estimates that the average, five-page, small business website can range from $500-$100,000 depending on developer fees, design customization and other dynamics. A professional developer will help ensure best practices, but if you can’t afford the cost, there are free, do-it-yourself website templates available online.

Consider prominently adding the following content on your website to successfully promote your business and explain why remote security is important:

  • What is your mission, and what do your customers seek? Explain why people need each one of the services you provide.
  • Why is remote security so convenient for a customer? As an example, while at work a customer can receive a text message if their child didn’t come home from school at a scheduled time.
  • Why is fire and heat detection so important? Explain how a home security system can help customers sleep easier at night, or how home automation can help customers stay organized and efficient on-the-go.

Overall, your website should have: a simple URL name; a clear design and site layout; a casual yet informative tone of voice; relevant content about security; basic SEO for increasing your company’s visibility on search engine rankings; and testimonials from real customers that add credibility to your company’s mission of protecting lives and property.

Social Networking

A business website offers only the marketing basics. Additional advertising channels are available including direct mail, TV and radio, depending on how much your business wants to pay.

Social media is a particularly appealing tool for companies with big and small budgets practicing inside and outside sales. Why? It’s free.

With more than 1 billion active monthly users, Facebook is widely regarded as the most effective B2C social site. Other leading networks include Twitter, You- Tube and Pinterest. The key to social media isn’t just about pitching services or tallying “likes;” it’s listening to what consumers are saying about security and safety, and providing pertinent content.

This article originally appeared in the January 2014 issue of Security Today.

About the Author

Rob Phillips is a communications specialist at Monitronics.

Featured

  • The Business Case for Video Analytics: Understanding the Real ROI

    For security professionals who may be hesitant to invest in video analytics, now's the time to reconsider. In a newly released Omdia report commissioned by BriefCam (now Milestone Systems), the research firm uncovered a compelling story: more than 85% of North American and European organizations that use video analytics achieve a return on investment within just one year. The study, which surveyed 140 end users across multiple industries, demonstrates that security technology is no longer just for security — it's a cross-organizational tool that delivers measurable business value far beyond traditional safety applications. Read Now

  • Survey: 54% of Organizations Cite Technical Debt as Top Hurdle to Identity System Modernization

    Modernizing identity systems is proving difficult for organizations due to two key challenges: decades of accumulated Identity and Access Management (IAM) technical debt and the complexity of managing access across multiple identity providers (IDPs). These findings come from the new Strata Identity-commissioned report, State of Multi-Cloud Identity: Insights and Trends for 2025. The report, based on survey data from the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), highlights trends and challenges in securing cloud environments. The CSA is the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment. Read Now

  • Study: Only 35 Percent of Companies Include Cybersecurity Teams When Implementing AI

    Only 35 percent of cybersecurity professionals or teams are involved in the development of policy governing the use of AI technology in their enterprise, and nearly half (45 percent) report no involvement in the development, onboarding, or implementation of AI solutions, according to the recently released 2024 State of Cybersecurity survey report from ISACA, a global professional association advancing trust in technology. Read Now

  • New Report Series Highlights E-Commerce Threats, Fraud Against Retailers

    Trustwave, a cybersecurity and managed security services provider, recently released a series of reports detailing the threats facing the retail sector, marking the second year of its ongoing research into these critical security issues. Read Now

Featured Cybersecurity

Webinars

New Products

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.” 3

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities 3

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area. 3