|
|
|
|
Advertising And Marketing When Starting a Business
|
|
Your dreams, ideas and creativity have carried you to the point where
you are now the proud owner of your own business. Now is the time
when your success or failure will be determined. Your doors are open
for business, but do people know that you are here? Take the time to
analyze your marketing efforts and make sure that the message is
getting to the appropriate audience. Your customers are out there,
you just need to find them.
New business owners must find alternative marketing channels, as
television commercials and print ads are generally cost prohibitive.
Fortunately myriad options exist, each with its own pros and cons.
Many companies use direct mail advertising and its email equivalent
successfully. This type of advertisement can be guaranteed to get
into the customer's hands (or email box), and may encourage a second
look. However, this method has a number of potential drawbacks. First
is the expense. Postal direct mail requires a heavy outlay of both
money (paper, ink, stamps) and labor (printing, folding, stuffing,
addressing).
Electronic direct mail eliminates the monetary costs, but requires an
equal amount of labor. Electronic direct mail has less chance of
reaching the targeted consumer, however, due to Spam filtering in
most email programs. Additionally, much direct mail of either type is
simply trashed without the customer ever considering the offer. Due
to the significant drawbacks, this type of advertising is not
generally recommended for a new business.
For many years, an advertisement in the local Yellow Pages was
practically a requirement for reputable businesses. Customers went
automatically to their phone books when in need of a product or
service, and the Yellow Pages advertisements offered a place for
companies to describe themselves to an interested audience. However,
in the past few years, the Internet has replaced the phone book as
the source of choice for consumers to gather information.
A significant portion of the population no longer maintains landline
phone service, which translates into a smaller customer base of
people who are even able to access the local phone book. Therefore,
Yellow Pages advertising is still an excellent secondary market, but
can no longer be used as the sole or even primary means of reaching
potential customers.
A more modern source of advertising can be found on the social
networking sites. Though appropriate only for products and services
aimed at a younger market, certain businesses have found success
through creating profiles and sending "friend requests" to
a targeted audience. This is a variation on direct mail marketing;
however the more personal nature of social networking sites can bring
some success. However some sites prohibit this type of advertising,
so you must carefully read the member agreements.
Perhaps the best source of advertising for those who provide a
service is a lead-generation Website. These sites allow the company
access to the personal information of potential customers who
register with the site and request information. You will need to pay
for the initial account setup and background check, then a small fee
for each lead that you accept. However, the ability to directly
reach, by phone or email, interested customers is worth the
investment. The services generally allow the company to use their
logos in other advertising, thus generating an air of reputability.
For better or for worse, the most publicity that you get will come
from your current customers. Make sure that you treat them well so
that the word of mouth messages about you and your business are
positive. As people talk, your reputation will grow, and as your
reputation grows, so will the enterprise that you have poured
yourself into.
John Edmond worked for many years in insurance and finance and now
writes on small business and finance at http://www.business
|
|
Your Ad Here
Great Books at 
