Marketing Information

If You Do No Other Preparation


Far too often we see small businesses rush into doing things without planning and preparing. Unfortunately, marketing is a great case in point. Many small businesses set up shop and then hurry to get a brochure made up, develop a web site, and get out and start networking without much planning or preparation. And then they wonder why their results are so poor.


Maybe it's for lack of knowing where to start. I'm not sure. But, if you do nothing else from a preparation standpoint for your marketing, I suggest you spend some time thinking about your best clients. Your best clients aren't simply the ones who pay the most money, but also the ones you enjoy working with the most. Spend some time to create a profile.


1. Define Your Target. How do you describe your target market in terms of demographics and psychographics? Demographics are the basic facts like the kind of industry they're in, size of company, revenues, geographic location, etc. If your target is individuals, then it means income levels, age, gender, education, etc. Psychographics deal more with things like the style, philosophy, and characteristics of your targets.


2. What's The Problem? What are the problems, issues, challenges, or predicaments you're trying to help your target customers and prospects with? Every product or service is designed to address some sort of issue or challenge for your client. What is your target market dealing with and what's the potential impact of not being able to address those problems?


3. What Do They Get From Working With You? What are the solutions you provide? What benefits do you offer? What results do you produce? Note that this isn't "what you do" or a list of services you provide, but what your clients actually get from you.


4. What's It Like Working With Them? What is it about working with your best clients that makes them your best clients? What is the relationship like? How do things work? What is it that you're able to uniquely do for them that makes it a great working relationship?


You'll be amazed at what it can mean for your business when you spend some time preparing a profile of who your best clients (and potential clients) are. If you know exactly who your potential clients are, then you can more effectively focus on them in your marketing efforts. But just as importantly, by clearly identifying who you work with, your potential clients will be able to identify themselves (and reveal themselves to you). Now that you've defined your best clients, do your current marketing efforts really reach these folks and others like them?

(c) - Kevin Dervin, KPD Marketing

About the Author:

Kevin Dervin is focused on helping small businesses that are ready to grow, but struggle with how to consistently attract more clients. Visit http://www.proven-small-business-marketing-solutions.com for more great marketing information you can put to use in growing your business today.

Find Kevin's Kansas City based KPD Marketing practice at http://www.ABCDgrowth.com and subscribe to his free ezine called ABCD Grow.


MORE RESOURCES:

HULIQ

Report: USDA lax in policing organics marketing
Washington Post
The internal report says the department has failed to monitor some companies it had already identified as improperly marketing their products as organic. ...
USDA's Organic Enforcers Let Offenders Slide, Audit SaysNew York Times
Are You Sure These Beans Are Organic?The Big Money (blog)
US: Organic food enforcement slammedjust-food.com (subscription)

all 263 news articles »


Andrew Rosen Joins Bank of the West as Chief Marketing Officer
MarketWatch (press release)
SAN FRANCISCO, Mar 19, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Andrew Rosen has joined Bank of the West as the company's Chief Marketing Officer. In this role, Rosen leads ...

and more »


ABC News

Tobacco faces new FDA marketing restrictions
Houston Chronicle
The regulations are an “important step forward in curtailing tobacco industry marketing,” said Matthew Myers, president of the nonprofit Campaign for ...
US FDA restricts tobacco marketing to youthReuters
FDA Announces Stricter Marketing Laws to Curb Youth SmokingABC News
FDA clamps down on tobacco marketingWIVB
Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area -mediabistro.com (blog) -ParentDish (blog)
all 356 news articles »


Ivy Tech Community College wins 11 national marketing awards
Kokomo Perspective
The college won six awards from the National Council of Marketing and Public Relations Professionals (NCMPR). The awards were presented to the college this ...

and more »


Census incorporates direct mail marketing techniques
Overnight Prints
Though the census is certainly different in many ways from marketing, a mailing campaign this large has some lessons to offer. The 2000 census was the first ...

and more »


Contactmusic.com

Wal-Mart Fires Up Marketing for 'Dragon'
Wall Street Journal
"It is a different business model for both of us, and we're both going to be evaluating how it works," said Wal-Mart Chief Marketing Officer Stephen Quinn. ...
Wal-Mart's 'Dragon' Marketing May Be The Way Of The FutureMediapost.com
'Dragon' ship charts new course for Wal-MartHollywood Reporter
DreamWorks Animation Has High Hopes for 'Dragon'BloggingStocks (blog)

all 61 news articles »


Advantex Gains Access to Debt Financing to Expand Its Advance Purchase ...
MarketWatch (press release)
The recent signing of a channel partner agreement with Aeroplan Canada Inc., and amendment to its existing loyalty marketing program agreement with Canadian ...
Advantex Marketing International Grants Carole Kerbel StockTransWorldNews (press release)

all 18 news articles »


NEWS.com.au

Will YouTube Case Lead To FTC Investigation Of Viacom's Questionable Marketing ...
Techdirt
We had mentioned in our analysis that Google highlights the details of Viacom's rather large "stealth marketing" campaign to upload videos to YouTube, ...
What's Social About Google/Viacom Corporate Greed?Everything PR
The juicy details behind the Viacom-YouTube lawsuitUSA Today

all 1,077 news articles »


Free Seminar On List Building Techniques And E-Mail Marketing
Emailwire (press release) (blog)
The Info Seminars Club is arranging Free Info seminar Event with top internet marketing experts for the advantage of all. Each marketing expert is sure to ...
Free Seminar On List Building Techniques And E-Mail MarketingIndia Business Blog (blog)
Learn The Secrets Of Dominating Google – Free SeminarBigNews.biz (press release)

all 29 news articles »


Boxer Manny Pacquiao a rising star in marketing
San Francisco Chronicle
And although experts say he's not quite there, his appeal may translate into more marketing power for the man whom GQ magazine, in its April edition, ...

and more »

Google News