Cost Effective

Small Business Administration/SCOREHow to Start a Small BusinessSusan CampbellMarketing Consultanttwenty.five EIGHTGroup

  

Washington, DCPhone: 202 360 8017

E-mail:

swcamp@aol.com

Marketing is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods, services, organizations, and events to create and maintain relationships that will satisfy individual and organizational objectives. (Contemporary Marketing Wired 1998)

Marketing Plan Your blueprint for communicating the value of your

products and/or services to your customers. Outlines the specific actions you intend to carry out to

interest potential customers/clients in your products and/or service.

Specifies how you plan to persuade them to buy the product and/or services you offer.

Defines your budget and Return On Investment (ROI).

Marketing Strategy Your roadmap - tells you where you want to go and how

you’re going to get there.

Online Research ToolsU.S. Department

of Labor

Offline Research Tools Washington Business Journal Trade press, Newsletters Visit the competition as a customer –

what appeals to you? What doesn’t appeal to you?

Associations, Chamber of Commerce, Better Business Bureau

Know Your Customer Demographics - Who’s your customer? What does your customer want? Geographic Concentration – where will they come from? How do you reach them? What, or who, influences their buying decisions?

Be Sure Your Customer Knows & Remembers You Create credibility and trust Demonstrate your expertise Measurable testimonials Guarantees

Online Social NetworkingMeetup.comFacebookLinkedInMySpaceYouTube – Viral MarketingWikipedia

Cost effective Be discovered; discover inside connections that can help you

close deals Find potential clients, service providers, subject matter

experts, and partners Post and distribute job listings Get introduced to other professionals through the people you

know

Web Site A Web Site is your business in a box ,

reflecting the same level of information and service one can gather by visiting in-person … and more

Establishes a familiar face; builds recognition Creates value and implies validity But … if you don’t have a web site that

effectively represents your image and message, and if you can not maintain/update your site, think twice.

Blogging Start and enter blogs specific to your

business▪ What are people saying?▪ What do you have to offer?▪ Are people listening and responding to you?▪ Blogs are not for “hard selling.” They’re for

dialogue and establishing yourself as a “subject matter expert.”

Web sites and Blogging Complement Each Other Create a community NOW Drive traffic to you and your expertise/ideas Gauge interest Twitter.com is a good start. It’s a mini-blog

often referred to as a ‘virtual water cooler’ Search the web for applicable blogs

Low Cost Outreach Partnerships and Alliances Referral Program PR – relevant publications E-mail newsletter Seminars, trade shows, conferences,

expos –attend and/or participate Promotional items Community activities

Brand, Identity, Logo Your identity (brand) is a powerful

communication tool, yet few businesses consciously create and use a brand identity, or logo to their advantage.

Your message and identify should be simple, concise, visual and consistent.

Marketing is acknowledged to be the most challenging activity for any company. The increasing complexity of markets and the speed of change means that a shotgun approach will not be effective. The rifle approach involved in targeting a market niche ensures that the best possible impact will be achieved.

There are significant challenges to achieving marketing success. If you remain focused on the core driving forces of your marketing programs -- while remaining open to new ideas -- you will find your way.

Marketing Success Marketing is the most challenging activity for

any company – big or small. Targeting a market niche and simplifying your approach will produce the best possible results.

If you remain focused on the core driving forces of your marketing programs -- while remaining open to new ideas -- you will find your way!