4. Marketing
Table Of Contents:
Marketing Overview:
Framing The Marketing Conversation
It doesn’t matter how great your business is if no one knows about it. The process of telling people about your product, services and story is called marketing.
Marketing strategies are tailored to each business, and will help you identify what makes your product unique.
Start With These 3 Questions
Marketing is similar to many other areas of business in that you need to ask and answer a lot of questions before you can find a solid answer. Here are the first three questions you might want to ask.
If you can confidently and correctly answer these three questions you are getting close to having a solid marketing plan.
Create a Marketing Plan
Marketing plans can be 45-page documents with pie charts and citations, or they can be one-page marketing plans like the marketing canvas.
MIstart recommends that you start by filling out the marketing canvas as your marketing plan.
Marketing Plan Tips
- Track your return on investment for each type of marketing you do by tracking where your customers are coming from.
- Create a plan in advance. Don't market on whims.
- People buy from people. Keep marketing personal.
Marketing Areas To Consider
- Word of mouth: Every business says this, so what are you going do to ensure this is happening for you?
- Social Media
- Video
- Radio
- Door to Door
- Cold calls
- Website and online marketing
- Promotional items
“One of the largest pitfalls of small businesses is their lack of the ability to market themselves. Understand that YOU (the business owner) may know how great you are, but you have to make sure everyone knows… and this is a never-ending job, so don’t ignore it.” — Tonia Osby