Small Business Marketing
Marketing your small business is the most important discipline of owning a small business that every entrepreneur needs to understand and implement correctly. Marketing is all about your customers, what they want emotionally and how you can satisfy those wants and needs through your products and services.
What is Marketing?
Marketing refers to the process of identifying and satisfying customer needs at a profit. Initially, it looks at the needs customers have and to research the marketplace to ensure there's sufficient demand.
If the demand is there, then marketing helps develop a solution (at a cost to your organisation) that will fit this need. Those products and services developed then need to be communicated to let the target customer group know you have solutions to their problems. The messaging communicated entices the purchasing cycle through branding and pricing options.
Most people wrongly believe that marketing refers solely to the promotion of products through advertising and distribution channels (sales). Non-marketing professionals then begin looking at branding, especially corporate identity, from the design aspect first.
Thinking of marketing in this manner is a mistake that could cost you in the longer term if there's no demand for the services you then develop.
Understanding the overall marketing mix (in relation to the "4 P's or 6 P's" of marketing) is essential as the whole process will influence how successful a marketing-led organisation will be. First off, here are some mission statement examples as this is an area that many people spend far too much time upon and mostly get it wrong.
Business Marketing Articles
Free marketing ideas
We've highlighted some initial free marketing ideas to get your marketing off to a flying start. You can implement these at no cost to your business and communicate your business and services to your target market and customer groups.
Marketing Mix - the Four P's
Understanding what makes up the Marketing Mix - the four P's is essential reading for all levels of management. The product, place, pricing and promotion (and people and process) helps in developing your marketing plan that includes your marketing mix, communications plans and overall marketing strategy.
Write a concise marketing plan
This online guide shows you how to write a marketing plan step by step. It covers both whole businesses and new product launches into the marketplace.
Brand marketing positioning values and promise
When it comes to corporate identity, branding enters your marketing world! You may already have a brand developed, and clearly defined your positioning, values and promise but haven't articulated each value. You may already have these covered because you have already branded yourself from your own personality!
The concepts of marketing
Understanding the basic concepts of marketing helps drive creativity. Also, learn how the most successful businesses are marketing led.
Other information guides include how to get free advertising for your business and a list of advertising agencies who can undertake the work on your behalf. Learn about the differences between business to business marketing and consumer products and promoting your services in a B2B world.
Personal Development
Marketing a business is one thing, but marketing yourself is a different challenge entirely, so we have developed guides to help you fulfil your own personal ambitions.
Even more articles for personal development and leadership: