ArticlesReader.com Menu
Newest Articles
Most Viewed Articles
ArticlesReader.com RSS
Submit Article
Login
Signup
Search the articles

Articles Main Categories
Advice
Animals
Automobiles
Business
Career
Communications
Computer Programming
Computers
Entertainment
Environment
Family
Fashion
Finance
Food
Health & Medical
Home & Garden
Humor
Internet Business
Internet Marketing
Legal
Leisure & Recreation
Marketing
Other
Politics
Reference & Education
Religion
Self Improvement
Sports
Technology & Science
Travel
Writing
Subscribe
Receive alert message from us when new articles submitted to our site for free.

Enter your name

Enter your email

Syndicate

















Related Products
Home::Humor

Four Marketing Musts

Author : Matt McGovern
One of your most important jobs as a solo professional or small business owner is to generate interest in and demand for your products or services. But if you're like many entrepreneurs, you discover finding time for marketing to be elusive. Much of what you could be doing remains undone--and without some form of marketing your business growth stalls.

To help get you untracked, here are my four marketing "musts" for small business owners. Integrate these four fundamentals and you're sure to feel more confident going forward . . . and more able to plan a bigger "bang" for your time and efforts.

1. MAKE MARKETING YOUR MINDSET

Make marketing a subconscious element of all that you do. This doesn't mean you should be in "hard sell" mode all the time, but it does mean you need to develop a mindset where you view every interaction with someone--planned or otherwise--by phone, by email or in-person as a marketing opportunity.

2. MAKE YOUR MARKETING SUSTAINABLE

For marketing to work, you need to be able to sustain your efforts over time. You might develop the most effective plan, but if you can't implement that plan because it's too costly, too complicated, or you simply don't have the time to commit to it, then your efforts will fail.

Plan your marketing in phases. Start with low-hanging fruit. Get a couple of small victories under your belt. Note what worked, what didn't work, what felt most "right" for you . . . and keep moving forward.

3. MAKE IT ROUTINE

Without structure or routine built around your marketing efforts, you're likely to lose focus and get distracted--something that's all too easy for solo professionals and the self-employed to do.

One easy way to add structure is to create an overall marketing plan that outlines for you exactly what you hope to accomplish and when. You can then supplement this with shorter-term, action-oriented "to-do" lists aimed at reaching your marketing goals.

A word of caution, however, don't make "structure" your end-product. Consider structure only as a means to get the results you desire. This does not have to be a painful exercise--my plan and various lists usually fill only one or two pages. What's important is that there's always something to do . . . and that something always gets done.

You'll also want to maintain an element of flexibility in all that you put on paper or commit to your computer screen. Create your plans and follow them knowing that from week-to-week and month-to-month your objectives can--and most likely will--change.

4. MAKE TIME

Allot time each week to pursue your marketing goals. Pull out your calendar right now and schedule an appointment with yourself. It could be an hour, two hours or three--whatever you need to keep moving forward. It could be the same day each week, it could be different days. Whatever you choose, honor this commitment of time. Make it sacred.

MAKE MARKETING MORE AUTOMATIC
Remember, marketing doesn't happen in a vacuum, nor is it automatic. You have to tell people why they should want to buy your product or service--and then tell them again.

Only once you've adopted a marketing mindset and are willing to commit the time and energy necessary to sustain your marketing efforts--only then will your marketing become more automatic, more natural . . . and more successful.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Copyright (c) 2004 by Matt McGovern--All rights reserved.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Matt McGovern combines a rare blend of creative and technical know-how with years of experience and a balanced and purposeful approach to life. He has authored and edited numerous books, e-books and e-zines. Get "Know-How" his free e-newsletter at www.700acres.com/pages/ad_archive.html or explore life, death and beyond with his novel, "CURRENTS-Every Life Leaves an Imprint" at www.MattMcGovern.com/books.html.



Spam emails More free articles

Related articles


  1. If Real People Ran the Bank - I (a spoof for the heart)
  2. If, An Online Marketer's Internet Addiction Poem, Can You Relate to This?
  3. Pee Here Now
  4. How I Spent my Summer Vacation
  5. Dog Poo - And You Thought You Had Problems
  6. How To Get Attention, or: 'As You Read This, You Feel an Irresistible Urge to Go On Reading!'
  7. Psychiatric Psychiatrist - A Joke on Psychiatry
  8. Computers According to Carol
  9. Voodoo Munchies
  10. Local Author Joins History and Humor To Tell His Stories
  11. The Language of Appalachia
  12. Discover the Lighter Side of the Internet
  13. Military Wives
  14. Marines Don't Take Crap
  15. The Patience of Job
  16. Can't Get There From Here
  17. The Superior Mind -- Man vs. Mouse
  18. Rural Relocation – Considerations and Adjustments
  19. Chicken Rearing 101 – How Not to Raise Chickens
  20. 8 Reasons Why You Should Email Me One Dollar
  21. Timothy Ward's Great Coloring Book Rebirth
  22. Bat Ejection Techniques – Country Survival Course #27
  23. Halloween Howler
  24. Gone Fishing For Trivia
  25. Birds of a Feather
More related feeds
Merchant website questions
1) What are the musts it should contain? Beside basic program info, commissions, etc 2) Should it be focused on new affiliates, current affiliates, or both? 3) Do current affiliates find value on merchant websites or do they simply use ...

Five mobile marketing musts…
Integrate mobile through all your other media 2. Build an opt-in database for remarketing 3. Seize the moment! Provide consumers with interaction and immediate gratification 4. Use tactical events and promotions, but think strategically ...

Marketing Musts for any realtor
Here are my top 5 areas of marketing to generate new leads: 1. Thought Leadership Marketing/Positioning 2. Having a unique Niche to serve, don't be a "jack of all trades and a master of none" 3. Referrals through Affinity groups 4. ...

The 5 Musts of Marketing
For most of the small business owners I work with, marketing has become the equivalent of a four-letter word. Inevitably, when I ask the question, “Do you have a marketing plan?” or “What marketing activities do you engage in? ...

Top 10 Electronic Marketing Musts
4. Increase Conversions from your hotel website You will increase your online conversions by offering convenience and value. Remember, you do not have to discount your rooms to create value packaging. Get close to your customers needs. ...

The Musts of Trust: What Makes Women Say 'Yes'
The Musts of Trust Study found that while nearly half (46 percent) of American women claim to be extremely confident in how they handle their finances, less than four in ten (36%) inherently trust financial advisers and stockbrokers. ...

Ten common-sense marketing tips for busy entrepreneurs
Sweet marketing simplicity in a world filled with possibility on a small business budget. Daunting or do-able? MARKETING MUSTS:. 1. Ethics. Ethics is the foundation of good business practice. In marketing this means that you keep your ...

9 Musts of Marketing
4. You Need Persuasive Marketing Materials. Developing lead generating sales letters and promotional materials that intrigue and generate response is critical, but hiring a copywriter worth his or her salt costs thousands of dollars. ...

Interactive Marketing Manager / Sumner Communications, Inc ...
Candidate must thrive in a B2B business environment and possess relevant and proven experience with online marketing. This person must have strong analytical and enterprising abilities and a dynamic spirit in order to continually ...

Four Hot Career Fields For 2008
A knowledge of computers, a love for numbers, and an accounting degree are musts if you want to command a starting salary upwards of $55000, which is an average starting salary. These jobs are in high demand; fortunately, ...

 


 

2007 articlesreader.com - All Rights Reserved