I run a small offline businessmarketonline which in recent months has enjoyed a very nice upswing in business thanks to the internet. This was no accident – I’ve been working hard on my marketing for about a year. Much of this effort was spent learning how to market my business online.
During this process of getting it right, I’ve bought some garbage courses and information. But, within the piles of garbage I’ve also bought some real gems that without I’d not be enjoying my recent surge in sales and new customers.
As I look back about what’s were good purchases for learning marketing and which were not useful at all, I’ve come up with the following criteria to look for when choosing a business marketing guide or system.
3 Criteria When Choosing a Small Business Marketing System:
1. Don’t buy a small business marketing system that promises to teach you everything about marketing. What you’ll often get is a lot of fluff and little substance. You’ll probably know most of the information already in the massive “all-in-one” marketing kits.
No marketing author can tell you about print advertising, SEO, social media, referrals, viral marketing, e-mail marketing, direct marketing, TV ads, etc. Each of these topics on their own are self-contained guides or systems.
Instead, know exactly what you wish to learn about or improve, and buy a business marketing guide that caters to your need specifically.
2. Don’t buy from someone who doesn’t have real-life marketing experience. You preferably want to buy from someone who actually runs a small business and does their own marketing.
There are hundreds of people who write about marketing and sell “marketing systems” but have never done it for real.
3. Be prepared to do the work yourself – or at least do some of it so you get a hands-on education so you can properly hire people to implement the marketing activities taught. If you’re not prepared to roll up your sleeves and take action, no business marketing system will work for you.
In my view the best type of business marketing guide to buy is one that teaches you how to hone your online marketing. Focusing my marketing activities on the Internet has by far worked the best for me during the last 6 to 12 months.
If you’re running your own business and you’ve tried to manage the marketing side as well, you may have noticed how you cannot seem to cover all areas you want to reach. Sure, you can use social networking and email technologies to promote your products & services, and even organize some marketing activities well, but rather than being able to concentrate on running the business and actualizing plans for the future, you end up spreading yourself thin.
Remember that business marketing is a process, and requires continuous planning & effort, so it may be best to leave it to professionals specializing in it. Even if your business is a small start-up home-based venture, like for instance a bead accessory business whereby you offer your own handmade creations to accessory lovers online, or you have a yoga website offering clothing, mats, books & DVDs, and accessories for yoga enthusiasts, you’d still need to get expert help to drive the desired visitors to your site. You’ll also need high quality articles and learn the ropes of using search engines to help you attain a measure of online business success.
Rather than devising & conducting marketing activities in a piecemeal fashion on your own, you can free yourself up and let a marketing professional develop a comprehensive marketing strategy that can bolster your business growth.
Good business marketing entails effectively communicating a clear and consistent message to your targeted public. This message should then be integrated throughout all marketing activities. This kind ofstrategic, big-picture approach will cost you money, but in the end the investment can be worth it because with more efficient marketing efforts, you stand to improve your business and rake in more profits.
When looking for a topnotch marketing consultant to handle the marketing aspect of your business, opt for one with a good track record. When meeting the heads of that marketing consultancy firm, you’ll see if they have a solid knowledge base. They should be able to offer innovative solutions to diverse marketing problems. Most marketing consultancy firms offer a wider range of packaged services – including specific search engine marketing, viral marketing,
compelling article content, effective advertising copy, and other crucial marketing strategies. You’d actually benefit much if you choose the right firm. Through a good marketing consultant’s perspective, you’d spot which areas you may be missing out on. An experienced marketing consultant has been around and will aim at producing results that will redound to your business success. By choosing the right marketing firm, you’ll be able to build name recognition and improve your company’s image as well.
For the best business marketing help, choose a company that has a good grasp of about your industry. If you run an accessories shop, for example, go for a marketing firm that has experience in creating good visual advertisements highlighting such products. If you own a sports store, check if the marketing firm’s portfolio includes some experience handling sports-related businesses. A sound marketing plan may be carried out by experts with a wide range of skills and experience, and its up to you to tap these to help your business grow.
