Are Your Marketing Efforts Working...Or Could They Use A Little Help?

Marketing is a broad business subject that encompasses a range of activities including advertising, public relations, sales, and promotions. Generally, you will find that people often confuse sales with marketing, when in fact the two are quite different. Marketing is all about getting a product or service into the market, promoting it, influencing behavior, and encouraging sales turnover. Sales, quite distinctly, is the actual transaction of getting a product or service into the hands of your customers.

With so many messages being propelled towards all of us these days, it is more critical than ever for a company to get their product noticed. This means marketers have evolved to being creative. Marketing is not an exact science and managers who know little about it are afraid that the marketing staff within their firm is often wasting valuable money. The truth is that marketing is an investment that always pays off; it just may come back in ways that are not necessarily measurable. So even though one campaign may bring moderate results, another will bring astonishing profits.

Companies not committed to a marketing program are at a disadvantage in today's business world. Those who are still focused on their products, rather than their customers, are doomed to experience lots of failure. Knowing what your clients' expectations are and working to exceed them is the key to ultimate business success.

There are millions of marketing ideas just waiting to be spawned. If you need to generate ideas, start by brainstorming on paper or on the computer. One small idea usually leads to many other ideas. Alternatively you can do a web search for the specific marketing ideas you are looking to use in your marketing program. If you lack the talent or time to be creative and generate your own marketing ideas, there are marketing agencies that can assist you to build a complete marketing program.

When you are planning your marketing program, keep in mind the hurdles you may face, and think of ways to eliminate them. Some things that may hold you back from implementing your marketing ideas include budget shortfalls, lack of skill, or being understaffed. Think of ways around this as you plan your strategy for the future.

Finally, think about the specific actions that you can use in a marketing campaign. Your marketing actions might include advertising, sponsorship, branding, and public relations. Or, you may want to stick with direct mail, product packaging and creating promotional materials such as pens or caps. Whatever method you choose, make sure you are pointing excited energy in that direction. It will be reflected in the results!

The author has discovered one of the secrets to getting the word "out there" regarding your product or service. She has shared this information with hundreds of business owners over the last 20 plus years and helped them to improve their business.

Andrea Lee Churchill is passionate about marketing and is the webmaster of FWS Marketing


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In The News:


LA reveals unveils new tourism marketing slogan
San Jose Mercury News,  USA - 1 hour ago
AP LOS ANGELES—The city on Friday unveiled a new marketing campaign built around the slogan "That's So LA" to keep tourists coming despite the nation's ...
New campaign to boost LA tourism abc7.com
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Reuters

Audi says it will increase US marketing efforts
Chicago Tribune, United States - 4 hours ago
Those marketing dollars have an aim to push Audi US sales to 200000 vehicles by 2018. Schwarzenbauer said the company has a goal to sell 1.5 million Audis ...
Audi plans record US marketing spending Reuters
Audi plans to boost US marketing budget Automotive News
Audi says it will increase US marketing efforts Fox 28
DetNews.comall 16 news articles

Columbus tech firm buys Dayton marketing company
Bizjournals.com, NC - 6 hours ago
Implications International, which specializes in interactive marketing, brand design, and Web development, has offices in Peoria, Ill., Mumbai, India, ...

Wellstar/TMI Begins Marketing Imaging System to Long-Term Care ...
MSNBC - 1 hour ago
TMI's marketing plan includes a program where LTC facilities can lease the equipment necessary to perform skin assessments and store the necessary data ...

Halekulani to get marketing boost from Japanese hotel
Bizjournals.com, NC - 5 hours ago
Effective April 1, Imperial Hotel will start reservations service, sales, marketing and public relations activities within Japan for Halekulani and Waikiki ...

Proton Laboratories Announces New Sales & Marketing Office
MSNBC - 18 hours ago
Proton will start by marketing a variety of enhanced water products that provide health benefits for people and the planet as well as the commercial product ...
Proton Laboratories opens Southern California office Bizjournals.com
all 9 news articles

Zoo honored for marketing campaign
Salt Lake Tribune, United States - 3 hours ago
... different companies around the US The Utah Chapter of the Society for Marketing Professional Services recognizes excellence in marketing communications ...

Boston Globe

FedEx trims '09 marketing budget by 25%
Bizjournals.com, NC - Jan 8, 2009
United Parcel Service Inc. rival FedEx Corp. will cut its marketing budget by more than 25 percent for 2009, the company recently disclosed on its blog. ...
FedEx cuts marketing spend by more than 25 percent Reuters
FedEx cuts marketing budget DM News
FedEx to reduce marketing budgets by 25% Brand Republic
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Katz Media Launches New Marketing Unit
FMQB, NJ - 9 hours ago
Katz Media Group has launched a new, national marketing unit that will create custom solutions for advertisers and their agencies with the goal of ...
Katz Launches National Marketing Unit, Trims Staff Media Buyer Planner
Katz Media Group forms marketing unit BtoB Magazine
Katz creates unit to handle ads for new radio platforms SmartBrief
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Examiner.com

Cape May tourism department wins marketing award
Examiner.com - 13 hours ago
by William Sokolic, Jersey Shore Examiner The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International will recognize the Cape May County Department of ...
marketing - Google News
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