Basic marketing steps

If you are a new business owner you may feel that you don't have time to market your business with everything else that needs your attention. However, the reality is that you can't afford not to market your business. Keep in mind that if your customers don't know what you can offer them or where to find you then there is very little chance that they will buy from you. For this reason alone it is imperative that every business owner become familiar with the basics of marketing.

The good news is that by knowing just the basics of marketing you can go ahead and begin marketing and getting your business the recognition it needs to survive. Best of all, you can put some marketing into place for not a lot of money. Today, there has never been as many opportunities to market any type of business. Business owners are only limited by their creativity and resourcefulness. Here are some basic marketing steps to you started on the road to business success-
- Get the attention of your customers-It is crucial to understand that you have competition. Many new business owners feel that they don't have competition because they have a highly unique product or they are the only business of their type in their geographic location. However, you need to keep in mind that because of the internet your customers can shop from businesses not just across town but around the world. This makes it crucial that you get your customers attention and find ways to stand out from the crowd. You need to show your customers that you have the solution for their need or want. If you can't do that then you need to reconsider what you are in business for.
- Create a marketing message that will speak to your customers-Now that you know what you want to say you have to figure out how to say it. You need to make sure that your customers understand what it is that you are offering to them. Keep in mind that it must be interesting and able to address what they are looking for. They need to be able to understand it instantly and feel compelled to buy your product or service. If you are unable to create urgency for buying your product or service it is unlikely that your customers will act on your marketing message no matter how creative it is.
- Consider different marketing methods-Now that you know what you want to say and how to say it you need to consider how to deliver your marketing message. There are numerous marketing methods for you to consider but it is important to understand that not everyone will be right for your business and the marketing message you want to deliver. You need to have a clear understanding of who your target market is and the marketing method that is best able to reach them. Simply taking a "shotgun approach" and trying every type of marketing methods is rarely effective.
- Choose the marketing method(s) that will reach your intended customers-Now that you have taken the time to learn about different marketing methods you can then narrow down your choices to the marketing methods that are most likely to reach your target market. If you have done the right amount of market research then you will have a good idea of where your customers are. This means that you will use online marketing only if your customers are internet users, or you will put together television ads if your customers will be watching television. When you have selected the right marketing method(s) you can then place your marketing where it will be the most effective for your business.