wee thoughts on marketing

to date I have spent no money on what I would call traditional advertising which has been more of a financial restraint more than anything as advertising in any guise is so bloody pricey - and a lot of it is so random and immeasurable as you have to have a good deal of time to assess if it really works and see patterns etc. This position forced me to look at who I know and ask who they know. I have spent a lot of time online looking at what people have to say about social media as one minute it is vital and the next it is being slated for not working. I personally think social media is vital as it is an updated communication, and I personally like having a gander at what other people are up too and their thoughts on things as every day really is a school day. I don't think the answer to any business is just sticking a 1/4 page in a mass distributed mag because of the numbers as we do need to think smarter and smaller to reach out audience. People are inundated with so much piffle that they tune out to most of it. Forest for the trees is a constant in my new working life so I am frequently turning to my friends for advice as sometimes being too close to things is a detriment...good honest feedback is priceless