This afternoon, I will be presenting to the Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women organization on Marketing on a Shoestring Budget.
This is one of my favorite topics to chat about, mostly because I truly believe it takes more time and energy than it does money to launch and maintain a successful marketing program. Marketing is every bit of contact your company has with anyone in the outside world. That means a lot of marketing opportunities. It does not mean investing a lot of money.
Don’t get me wrong, money still needs to be invested, and I recommend it is a percentage of your projected gross revenues. You, as a company, need to decide what percentage will be allocated to marketing.
Once you have decided your budget, and made the commitment to invest the necessary time and energy, you need to define the combination of marketing tools that are right for your business. These tools should expand your reach, all while keeping costs down. Utilize social media, public relations, networking and more.- Your product or service.
- What are your product or services benefits? How are they different than a competitors?
- Market – become an expert.
- Industry – spot vulnerabilities and opportunities.
- Competition – know them, understand them, learn from them.
- Customers – your customers and your competitors customers.
- Prospects – identify and locate them.
- Media – know the best ways to reach prospects.
- Internet
- Technology – how can this propel you to your goals?
- The purpose of the marketing
- How you’ll achieve this purpose
- Your target market
- Your niche and your position
- The identity of your business
- Your budget
Now, define the tools you will use to accomplish your marketing goals. *@*******gn.com“>Email us for our list of low-cost marketing ideas.
Sources: Guerilla Marketing, Jay Levinson
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