Three ways to look at marketing

After reading "is a good advertising advertising?" by John Mariotti, I began to think (and rethink) on marketing.   John said the "media spreads stories in a blink of eye," but if messages are so easy to propagate, why owners of small businesses appear struggle with marketing?

Could be our State of mind? Even if effective marketing is also fundamental to our business as the quality of the product or service that we offer, we, the owners of small businesses tend to Don marketing on hold. Here are three ways to look at marketing to help us to change our mindset.

Some of us think of security as marketing "I will just cost a little bit." If run you an ad in the local newspaper and Yellow Pages. You pass on some business cards, tell a few friends, distribute some flyers and call on the day. You feel kind of good because you did something and don't waste money (I hope). But it is the cost of effective marketing that can save your business (and by the cost, I mean that time to develop strategies.) Hit-et-Miss-marketing pas good for long term business).  In my view, the marketing without risk is relevant marketing.

Anyone who does care about what you are talking about? It is important to your target market?

What care about your customers?
Communicate a message that nobody cares about is the feeling of worse - in the world and it is bad for business.  A quick way to start in the right direction is to pay attention to what is happening in the world around you.  Find the events that cares about or cares about if they knew their subject of your target clientele.  What are public holidays, tournaments and major events that concern them? Discover this and then plan your marketing autour to help your clients and prospects of celebrating, to recognize or participate in this event.

Where are your people?
Also, relevant marketing requires that you know where are your people (target market). Your target market reads the Yellow Pages? If they are then buy this announcement.  Or they go to Google to search for addresses and phone numbers? If they go on the Web for local information, and then enter into online directories. Choose to be relevant with your marketing. Talk what cares and make sure that your information is listed in the key locations they will naturally to your target clientele.

In "How Objections to Social Media are Killing Your Business," Ivana Taylor says "one of the most common objections to social media is that it is a fad-here today, tomorrow gone." But, if it's here today relevant to your target audience, and then use it to your advantage and connect. Social media are not not the only tool in your marketing plan, but it is one of them. Propose a strategy and begin.  The cool thing to be a small business owner is that if it does not work, you can adjust it quickly.

In "7 Facebook contest ideas for small business," Janet Thaeler gives some good ideas to help you use contests to grow your Facebook page, including "tie your competition in the events current."

When I say consistent, I do not mean to do the same old boring things again and again. I want to say that your marketing strategy is always applied. You should systematically take the time (at least quarterly) to assess and reassess what you do and how effective it is. Do more of what works - because it works, not because you've always done.

Effective strategic marketing and it takes a lot of effort upfront - but it pays for itself on the back end.

Jamillah Warner (Ms.J), a poet with a passion for business, is the Marketing Coordinator at Nobuko Solutions, a business strategy specializing in solutions for business writers. Learn more about HIV.