Can you really market successfully on a tight budget?
Yes, you can! And you don't need a marketing degree to do
it either.
Most small businesses owners who are setting up or those
who are new owners are under fairly tight marketing
controls at the beginning.
LOGO AND STATIONERY PRESENTATION There are a number of
marketing processes that have to be done, such as business
cards and window signage to name a few, or in a virtual
business, a website set up.
First off, you will need to look at your own skills. Do
you have a sense of color co-ordination, are you great with
words, do you understand the meaning of 'ask the question'
in your advertising.
If you answer 'no' to these questions then you should be
looking at a copywriter to help you in this area. And you
may need to employ a graphic designer for an eye catching
business logo. A logo is so important as it is the 'face
of your business'.
SET UP A MARKETING PLAN Before opening up a business or
taking over a business, if you have bought one, set up a
marketing plan while you have the time to research costs.
It is so important that you start building up your customer
base as soon as possible and successful marketing is one of
the many ways of doing so.
You need to be able to effectively market your business and
your product, keeping foremost in mind the question 'WHAT
BENEFITS ARE MY CUSTOMERS GOING TO GET FROM MY
BUSINESS/PRODUCT?' You need to have this in your marketing
so that it is spelt out for your customers.
So, what you will need to be focusing on is how to get this
marketing done at the best price for the best job. To do
this you can contact the relevant suppliers or you can
research other businesses that have great logos and copy
written ads to find out who did the work for them.
KEEPING COSTS UNDER CONTROL Initially you will need to keep
the spending under very strict control, but even as your
business grows any money spent on marketing needs to be
measurable and this needs to be considered when writing a
marketing plan. Keep away from risky marketing first up,
but as time goes on you may wish to spend a small amount on
a calculated risk.
MARKET TO SUIT YOUR PARTICULAR BUSINESS It is so easy to be
talked into marketing of different sorts, either by another
business owner who has run a successful campaign, or by a
sales representative trying to get you to commit because of
a deadline.
Placing ads to meet a deadline is a NO, NO. If you end up
in this situation step back and say that you will go in the
next one. There is nothing more certain of doing bad
advertising when it is compiled on the spur of the moment.
With media advertising, always try and work at least one
month ahead so that you market to suit the climate, a
specially good priced item you have or what ever it is, but
think ahead!
Just because another business owner has used a certain type
of media, or for some other reason has had a successful
campaign, it may not suit your business. You need to
research it and see if the price is right, if your client
base is going to be reached and if you have a product or
service that suits.
INTERNET MARKETING In time you will need to look at
internet marketing as this is the way of the business world
today.
With ANY marketing you plan ask yourself: "Is this the most
effective marketing I can do for the best price?"
----------------------------------------------------
Kaye Dennan has been a business owner for over 25 years and
has learnt many techniques for successful business
marketing. You can get help for your marketing ideas and
marketing plan from MARKETING MUST DO'S FOR EVERY SMALL
BUSINESS at
http://ebooksnowonline.com/internet-marketing/marketing/
(includes ebook and audio)
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