Advertising & Marketing
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Prepare Yourself Properly Before Marketing

What does “marketing” really mean for a small business? For you, it might
include events, public relations, trade shows or advertising. But for other small
businesses, it might mean different things, like electronic newsletters,
packaging, postcards—and even the hats, uniforms or nametags that
employees wear.

In fact, think of marketing not as a single action but rather a combination of
steps your business takes to identify, attract and retain profitable customers.  
As such, marketing is of vital importance to your business, so you want to
make sure and do it right.  And that means preparing yourself properly before
you spend money on marketing.

If you play a sport, you know that preparation is vital for success. Ditto for
marketing your business. You must be able to clearly identify what sets you
apart from the competition. Without this knowledge, you can’t market yourself
properly.  

Verify the accuracy of marketing information before you proceed. To prepare
yourself for marketing, create a detailed profile of your ideal prospect. As you
create your marketing message, aim it at them and list the benefits they will
receive. Be certain your marketing message highlights the special knowledge
and expertise you offer.

Look for ways to make the buying process easier for your customers. What
roadblocks can you remove? Simplify everything; eliminate potential
interruptions in the sales process and make decision-making as painless as
possible for your customers.

Put your marketing budget in proper perspective. You might, for example,
think of marketing as your ace-in-the-hole rather than merely a “cost.” Try to
set a budget and a pace that lets you market continuously. Customer
memories are short, and they are bombarded with thousands of marketing
messages and images daily. Your effort must be ongoing or people will
quickly forget.

Match your marketing to your primary market. If it’s a local market, then that’s
where your marketing focus should be. Broadly focused newspaper or radio
advertising, for example, might be the wrong choice. Instead, consider
marketing neighborhood-by-neighborhood.

A good place to find marketing help is MarketPower.com, a free Web site
produced by the American Marketing Association. The site offers authoritative
information on all marketing topics from advertising, Internet marketing and
research, to strategy, public relations and items specific to small business.

To learn more about marketing your small business, contact SCORE
"Counselors to America's Small Business." SCORE is a nonprofit
organization of more than 10,500 volunteer business counselors who provide
free, confidential business counseling and training workshops to small
business owners. Go to www.scoredm.org on the web or call (515) 284-4760
between the hours of 10:00 A.M. and 3:00 P.M. Monday through Friday.