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Published April 2005 Do
your homework Dear BizBest: Help! I’m just starting out and need more customers, so I guess I should be doing some marketing. But to tell you the truth, I’m not entirely sure just what that means. Do I advertise? Put on events? Send out press releases? Exhibit at trade shows? What does it really mean to market my business? — Unmarketed Dear Unmarketed: Marketing is not a single action but a combination of steps your business takes to identify, attract and retain profitable customers. It includes everything from market research, advertising and packaging to the clothes your employees wear, the smiles on their faces, your billing practices, customer service, thank-you cards, e-mail newsletters and dozens of other items. In short, marketing is the very core of your business, so it’s important to position yourself properly before you set foot in the marketing arena. For example, can you clearly identify what sets you apart from the competition? It’s tough to market yourself without having this clear in your mind. Develop a simple sentence or two that defines what compelling advantage or value you offer and how it solves a problem and makes the customer’s life easier. Be specific. Pinpoint the customer “pain” that your product or service will relieve and the results they will see from the product or service your business offers. Before you can effectively “market” yourself — create ads, brochures or mailings, for example — decide what type of expert problem solver you want to become. Include these eight steps in your pre-marketing homework:
Match your marketing to your primary market. If it’s a local market, then that’s where your marketing focus should be. Broadly focused newspaper or radio advertising, for example, might be the wrong choice. Instead, consider marketing neighborhood-by-neighborhood, block-by-block, customer-by-customer. You’ll find additional marketing program support here:
Daniel Kehrer (dan@bizbest.com) is founder of BizBest (www.bizbest.com), which publishes “The 100 Best Resources for Small Business.” |
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© 2005 The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA |
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