Marketing tips for small business owners

If you have not received formal training or on the job training in marketing, it could be one of your biggest challenges as a small business owner. Marketing involves a number of different things from learning how to use the internet to your advantage to networking with the right groups of people. Anyone that needs help with marketing should follow these simple tips:

• Research. As you are new to the world of marketing, you need to get an education quickly. Head over to the library and check out a number of books that offer advice on different marketing strategies. You need to pick up a book about online marketing so you can learn about pay-per-click marketing, search engine optimization, and social media marketing. You also need to learn about the traditional forms of marketing that include direct mail campaigns, targeted mailers, and cold calling.
• Find free advertising opportunities. Marketing can get quite expensive so you need to look for every opportunity possible to get your name out there. Working with some of your competitors and sister companies to split advertising costs in the newspaper or direct mailing campaigns will save you a ton of money and it will allow you to reach a new audience. You also need to take advantage of blogs and social media sites where you can find a new audience while boosting your image.
• Generate a buzz. Having a good product is one way to generate a buzz, but your overall marketing campaign needs to get people talking. Buzz marketing is how many movies are able to become popular and break box office records. Producing a good thing and backing it up with excellent customer service is a sure fire way to build your image and generate a buzz with your target audience.
• Interact with your customers. If you really want to find out what your customers need, ask them. Customer surveys are a great way to gain information from your customers to find out what you are doing right and where you need to improve.In addition to sending out customer surveys, you can also gain some great information from your customers by going on their web sites and holding discussions with them. Social media sites are one of the hottest online worlds right now and you can tap into it by offering tips and advice to your customers. The more you participate, the more exposure you will gain and you will become credible in your customers eyes.
• Become a resource. If you really want to make a name for yourself in the industry, it's important to set yourself apart and become a resource of information for everyone. Start writing articles and submit them to different web sites. You can also start up a blog where you can provide valuable information to your customers on a weekly basis. The more information you put out there, the more your name will get tossed around and you will start to make a name for yourself.
• Packaging. One of the best ways to get your customers to notice your products is to make them look different from your competitors. Purchase your competitors products and pick them apart so you can find ways to make your products better. Even changing your product packaging to include more white space will gain your customers attention. Changing the way your logo looks is another way to quickly capture your audience's attention.

Becoming a successful marketer will take time so don't expect instant changes overnight. Set your campaigns to last at least 90 days in order to start seeing results from your hard work.