By Sean M. Lyden
taken from Entrepreneur.com
Question:
I've just started my business, but I don't know where to start as far as marketing. It seems like there are tons of methods. How do I figure out which one is right for me?
Answer:
When it comes to marketing tools, one size does not fit all. What works well for one business may not be a good idea for you. And there's a complex array of factors that impact the success of your marketing campaign, whether it's market timing, the quality of your marketing materials or your market positioning, to name a few.
Therefore, before you spend time and money on any specific tool, make sure you know the answers to the following questions. Your answers will give you a framework from which you can decide what tools best fit you and your business.
Where do you find your target customers? With this question, you're trying to determine the best way to disseminate your message. For example:
How do you intend to keep in touch with your prospects and customers? Once you've established relationships with prospective customers who express interest in your product or service, the next step is to keep in contact with them. Send them regular direct mail postcards updating them on things like new offers, new products or services or your company's progress.
For more information on specific marketing tools and their pros and cons, consult these books: "The Guerrilla Marketing Handbook" by Jay Conrad Levinson and Seth Godin and "Getting Business to Come to You" by Paul and Sarah Edwards.
How much time can you devote to marketing? Attending networking events costs very little and yet can be very effective in jumpstarting your business. The downside is that networking requires a lot of time and effort to yield fruit. Are you willing and do you have the time to "press the flesh" at networking events? The same goes for PR. Getting written up in an article may cost you nothing in terms of dollars and generate thousands of dollars worth of publicity, but you must invest a lot of time to make your PR campaign successful. You must decide whether you can devote the time to successful using these marketing tools.
What is your marketing budget? An advertising campaign may take significantly less time to execute than networking or PR, but you're going to have to pay a whole lot more. The same goes with direct mail, where you have design, printing and distribution costs to consider. So what marketing tools should you use? Your budget just might tell you.
-- The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author, not of Entrepreneur.com or Nice Lines Direct Mail. All answers are intended to be general in nature and should be relied on only after consulting the appropriate expert.
Sean Lyden, Entrepreneur.com's Homebased Marketing Expert, is the CEO of Prestige Positioning, an Atlanta-based firm that "positions" clients as leading experts in their field through ghost-written articles and books for publication.
taken from Entrepreneur.com
Question:
I've just started my business, but I don't know where to start as far as marketing. It seems like there are tons of methods. How do I figure out which one is right for me?
Answer:
When it comes to marketing tools, one size does not fit all. What works well for one business may not be a good idea for you. And there's a complex array of factors that impact the success of your marketing campaign, whether it's market timing, the quality of your marketing materials or your market positioning, to name a few.
Therefore, before you spend time and money on any specific tool, make sure you know the answers to the following questions. Your answers will give you a framework from which you can decide what tools best fit you and your business.
Where do you find your target customers? With this question, you're trying to determine the best way to disseminate your message. For example:
-
What trade and/or civic organizations are your customers involved with? These are the organizations you'd want to consider joining and focusing your network efforts.
What publications do your customers read? Consider taking out a small ad in these or sending a press release announcing your business, new product or new offer.
Are there mailing lists that reach your customers? If so, you might want to purchase or rent a list from a list broker. Or you might be able to build your own list by researching the Web. In either case, you could send out an in-depth sales letter or something as simple as a direct-mail postcard announcing your business.
How do you intend to keep in touch with your prospects and customers? Once you've established relationships with prospective customers who express interest in your product or service, the next step is to keep in contact with them. Send them regular direct mail postcards updating them on things like new offers, new products or services or your company's progress.
For more information on specific marketing tools and their pros and cons, consult these books: "The Guerrilla Marketing Handbook" by Jay Conrad Levinson and Seth Godin and "Getting Business to Come to You" by Paul and Sarah Edwards.
How much time can you devote to marketing? Attending networking events costs very little and yet can be very effective in jumpstarting your business. The downside is that networking requires a lot of time and effort to yield fruit. Are you willing and do you have the time to "press the flesh" at networking events? The same goes for PR. Getting written up in an article may cost you nothing in terms of dollars and generate thousands of dollars worth of publicity, but you must invest a lot of time to make your PR campaign successful. You must decide whether you can devote the time to successful using these marketing tools.
What is your marketing budget? An advertising campaign may take significantly less time to execute than networking or PR, but you're going to have to pay a whole lot more. The same goes with direct mail, where you have design, printing and distribution costs to consider. So what marketing tools should you use? Your budget just might tell you.
-- The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author, not of Entrepreneur.com or Nice Lines Direct Mail. All answers are intended to be general in nature and should be relied on only after consulting the appropriate expert.
Sean Lyden, Entrepreneur.com's Homebased Marketing Expert, is the CEO of Prestige Positioning, an Atlanta-based firm that "positions" clients as leading experts in their field through ghost-written articles and books for publication.
