Marketing is defined as the totality of activities involved in the transfer of goods from the producer or seller to the consumer or buyer, including advertising, shipping, warehousing, and selling. This includes everything from how your phone is answered to your voicemail, how your employees dress, how your business cards look, and how your offices are decorated. Everything talks about marketing.
Most people jump into their business and start running at full speed without a strategy or plan for how to market their service or product. This is like going into battle and saying ‘Ready’, ‘Fire’… ‘Aim’. The steps are messy. You prepare and aim at your target. Once it’s in your crosshairs, you shoot. The same order of things occurs when developing a marketing plan.
Your marketing system should include specific goals, activities, and strategies on how to accomplish the tasks listed above. It is imperative to do some research on what the market wants. Remember that we are living in a microwave society. People want things fast, quickly and in a hurry, with the least amount of inconvenience for them. So one of the questions you need to ask yourself is what is the fastest, safest, and most cost-effective way to get your product to the buyer. Can it be delivered electronically? Does it have to be sent by a postman? How will the costs of these pathways be calculated?
Traditional marketing tries to appeal to the masses, but it would be better to target your niche, or those who are specifically interested in what you offer, and attract them. This way your conversion rate will be higher and you will not waste time and money on people who are not at all interested in what you are offering. You want to spend your marketing energy on customers who want what you have.
Your system should initially include a social marketing strategy that incorporates sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, and a content marketing strategy like articles, videos, or press releases. You can also include a paid marketing strategy like PPC or banner advertising, if you have a little budget to work with. To begin with, you need to choose a strategy and master it. Once you’ve mastered that one, add another one. You don’t want to spread yourself too thin from a time and money standpoint. You want to do what works.
Once you have selected them, specify the exact tasks that need to be done on a daily basis to achieve the goals. For example, on Facebook, you should find and join groups of people who are interested in your products or services. Connect with people who are going in the same direction as you. Provide value to these groups and individuals. Don’t just launch your business. That’s a big turnoff.
Be aware of your time management. If you’re not careful, you could spend hours doing tasks that aren’t directly related to the goals you’ve set. Scheduling your time is a key element. Prioritize money-making tasks. Of course, support tasks must be performed. But be mindful of the time you give them. Some things are nice to do, but they don’t add value and therefore don’t make money.