MARKETING IDEAS and TOOLS
Business Card Design Ideas
Brochure Design Ideas
Die Cut Business Cards
Scented Business Cards
Cheap Business Card Ideas
Unique Business Cards
Unique Brochure Ideas
Cheap Advertising Ideas
Business Card Layout
Promoting Home-Based Business
Competitive Advantage
Email Marketing Tips
3 Ways To Spend Less
Selling With Color
Promotional Magnets
MARKETING STRATEGIES
Differentiate Yourself
Information Marketing
Building Customer Loyalty
Getting Customer Feedback
Testimonials
How to Define a Niche
Discovering Niches
Finding New Customers
Indirect Benefits
The Consumer's Perspective
Promotional Marketing
Pricing Products and Services
Viral Marketing Magic
Marketing Mix
STARTUP IDEAS and STRATEGIES
Home-Based Startup Ideas
Business Idea Brainstorming
Virtual Assistant
Internet Researcher
Event Planner
Wedding Consultant
Telecommuting Strategies
Freelance Job Strategies
WEBSITE MARKETING
Build Traffic to Your Website
Domain Name Ideas
5 Ways to Increase Traffic
Scavenger Hunts
Talking Avatars
Promote Your Web Page
Autoresponders
Internal Links
Link Exchange Tips
Viral Marketing and Email
Attract Your Target Market
Market Your Website Offline
KEYWORD TIPS
Keyword Competition
Keywords and Meta Tags
Prime Spots for Keywords
Keyword Phrases
AFFILIATE MARKETING
How To Get Started
Residual Income
Affiliate Agreements
ONLINE BASICS
Choosing Domain Names
Domain Name Extensions
Website Design Strategies
Learning HTML
Understanding HTML Colors
Are Your Colors Web-Safe?
How to Accept Payments
Bandwidth: Doing The Math
Find The Right Web Host
Publish Your Website
MARKETING YOURSELF
Resume Tips
The Difference Between Marketing
and Advertising
Say the word "marketing" and most people think of advertising. However, there's more to marketing than just advertising.and Advertising
Marketing can be thought of as everything that business does that reaches or affects the consumer. It can impact the consumer's perceptions of a specific product, or the business as a whole.
Marketing is a mix of elements sometimes referred to as "The Four P's". These elements are product, price, promotion, and place.
The product component of marketing, like the others, is all about the consumer. It has to be something for which there is demand, or for which you can create a market.
The benefits of the product are critical because that's what people buy. Consumers don't buy Product A - they buy the benefits they derive from the product.
The price of a product is an often neglected element of the marketing mix. There's more to pricing a product than being competitive.
A price that's too low can create a negative image of the quality of your product in the consumer's mind. That perception may be projected upon your other products as well.
Promotion is a broad term including any activity designed to draw attention to your company or any of its products.
Some examples of promotion are advertising, press releases, sponsored events, and in-store demonstrations.
The element of place in the marketing mix involves the distribution channel that delivers your product to the location(s) where it can be purchased by your customers.
Every element of the marketing mix is critical to the success of your business, and all elements should work together.
Consider every strategy with consumers in mind. They are, after all, what the marketing mix is all about.
Nancy Richardson
CreateYourMarket.com publisher
Need a writer?
Quick Tips:
Enclose a business card promoting your website with each piece of outgoing mail.
Ask customers who frequently do business with you for a testimonial.
Promote your website URL offline on everything from bumper stickers to your answering machine message.
Want to reach the highest percentage of your target market?
Advertise in specialty publications including newspaper supplements devoted to a specific topic.
Marketing is crucial, but it doesn't always have to be serious.
Some of the most effective advertising campaigns rely on humor. Don't be afraid to make your customers laugh!