|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
There is no shortage of marketing programs, many with great profit potential. The challenge is to sift through and choose the ones that are right for your situation -- the ones that have the greatest potential to grow your business.
A key to knowing which marketing programs to choose involves thoroughly understanding how to leverage the 4 P s of marketing -- price, product, promotion, and place -- to reach and appeal to your target audience(s). When you have addressed these strategic issues, you are better able to choose marketing programs with the most potential to increase your business.
Too often, we tend to focus on "promotion" to the detriment of other P s in the marketing mix. When choosing programs for your marketing plan, consider each of the marketing 4 P s -- price, product, place (distribution), and promotion. You are likely to find the results much better than if you include promotions alone.
The opportunities for incorporating all 4 P s into your plan are numerous. You may find, after studying the competition, that increasing or decreasing your price is likely to result in better profits for your business. Perhaps there is a distribution channel (electronic delivery or mailorder, for example) you haven't fully integrated into your business. With respect to products, developing a new product or giving an existing product a facelift are examples of business-building programs.
You are likely to have several potential target audiences. Choose which to focus on by considering the 4 P s. Which audience will you be able to offer an attractive product to, while also charging a competitive price and earning acceptable margins? Will one audience respond better to promotions? Are you able to reach some more easily with existing distribution channels than others?
By answering these and other questions related to the 4 P s you will be better able to make marketing decisions and choose effective programs for your marketing plan.
Bobette Kyle draws upon 12+ years of Marketing/Executive experience, Marketing MBA, and online marketing research in her writing. Bobette is proprietor of the Web Site Marketing Plan Network ( http://www.websitemarketingplan.com ) and author of the marketing plan and Web promotion book "How Much For Just the Spider? Strategic Website Marketing For Small Budget Business," http://www.howmuchforspider.com/TOC.htm.
© 2002, 2004 Bobette Kyle. All Rights Reserved.
Advertisement: Honest Riches - Click Here!
Advertisement: Lost AdWords - Click Here!
Advertisement: Get $1 Million A Month In Google Pay-Per-Click Ads Free! - Click Here!
Advertisement: Who Loves Money? - Click Here!
Advertisement: SEO Elite, the GrandDaddy of SEO Software - Click Here!

Do you want to successfully market your business franchise online? Here's an internet strategy you can use for your franchise opportunity.1. Design a very simple web site.I've... Read More
When you attend networking functions, what kind of name tag do you wear? One of those sticky things you scrawled your name on, or something a bit... Read More
As the American economy emerges from recession, many businesses are now reexamining their marketing materials and realizing that their communications are outdated, ill-prepared for the return of... Read More
If you want to get consistent results from your marketing, you need to stay visible to clients and prospects. But, how do you do that?It's not going... Read More
Having a downline can be golden. A downline is a group of folks who have either signed-up or have already agreed to at least look at what... Read More
Do you offer superior service, consistently close loans on time and overall are more adept than your competitors, yet you're struggling to figure out the mortgage... Read More
What we now call "marketing" began long before the name was coined. In the mid-1800s, traveling salesmen dressed "snake oil" and other tonics in fancy packaging and... Read More
As the owner of a creative services boutique - I have realized that at least 9 out of 10 prospects/clients have suffered from one or all of... Read More
My niece recently graduated from high school, and my family spent the entire morning, evening, and night celebrating this wonderful once in a lifetime event with her.Our... Read More
Every business person who has any kind of product or service, and the merest beginning of marketing sense, invites TESTIMONIALS. These might be called "reviews" or... Read More
How Much Is Your Popcorn Worth?: Powerful Lessons In Marketing & The Psychology Of Selling - Part 5Let's continue to discuss the various marketing principles that are... Read More
Stuart from Colorado had talked to a number of marketing firms and gotten estimates for designing and printing his marketing materials and building a web site for... Read More
Considered a vital link in a show's promotional plan, direct marketing is vital only if it's done right. It's certainly not as simple as typing a letter,... Read More
Positioning is a powerful concept in marketing. To illustrate, have you ever visited a fast food restaurant, and, in a rush to complete your order asked for... Read More
In today's competitive (sometimes cutthroat) marketplace, savvy business owners need to constantly look for ways to get and, more importantly, keep their customers. When used properly postcards... Read More
As a massage therapist, your income is usually limited by your stamina and the amount of hours there are in a day. Have you considered that there... Read More
To be your own marketing expert you first need to know where to begin. It's no good learning how to be a good copywriter, if you don't... Read More
Advertising is the lifeblood of any business. If you do not learn how to advertise your products and services both efficiently and effectively, you won't be in... Read More
I bet you thought the movie "Daddy Daycare" was a kiddie comedy, right? Wrong...It's a marketing strategy film! When Charlie and his friend Phil are fired as... Read More
When I started my coaching practice I believed that I could coach anyone. My marketing wasn't targeted. Taking a few clients that were "wrong" for me cured... Read More
Every January, trade publications put out a list of predictions for the coming year. They discuss products, services and trends that they think will change... Read More
With the Internet opening up the doorway to the global market, everybody is up and running to reap the maximum benefit of this widely used medium. Not... Read More
Small and emerging companies often do not put together a board of advisors or board of directors for many reasons. Some entrepreneurs believe that businessmen and women... Read More
Our business environment has changed dramatically. Companies must now be disciplined and market-driven if they want to stay alive. They must do more - much more -... Read More
It was a real eye-opener to hear the perceptions people have about what it means to market professional services, as well as the anxiety the "m-word" (marketing)... Read More
If you sell a technical product or service, you probably know you have jargon at your web site - specialized terminology that the average person doesn't understand.... Read More
One of the best ways for potential clients to find out about you and your company is through public speaking. Free seminars attract potential clients. It is... Read More
Do you know your audiences? I mean really know them. I've just been working on a project for a client to help him position his financial... Read More
Business cards are such wonderfully creative little marketing products. Most of them, unfortunately, end up in the nearest trash basket. Nobody wants to be bombarded with a... Read More
"How to Earn the Right..."Marketing your professional services is a lot like dating: you have to earn the right to be intimate.In both endeavors, you can't skip... Read More
Your business success depends on your ability to promote your services, your products, and yourself. Fortunately, promotion is simple. I know...you hate selling. "But, I'm not a... Read More
In his classic best-seller, "How To Win Friends And Influence People," Dale Carnegie's second chapter is entitled The Big Secret of Dealing With People. The secret is... Read More
Information is the lifeblood of the economy. That's especially true for businesses, because the ability to identify current customers and locate new customers makes the difference between... Read More
You can have the best little business ever with wonderful potential, but if you can't market it, you don't have a business at all.Learn how to market... Read More
Let's be honest, when you're writing sales material for a product, there are a frightening number of things that can go wrong, aren't there?Remember Murphy's Law: what... Read More
Donors read postscripts. This is a sad but important reality in fundraising. Sad because the PS is stupid and belongs in another millennium. In this age of... Read More
No matter how small your marketing budget, your business can afford to have a successful presence at trade shows without incurring big expenses. Here are five tips... Read More
Certainly the newest earth quaking event in Internet Marketing insider circles is the release of John Reese's New, Traffic Secrets marketing course. I say certainly because I... Read More
Ann Landers, Dr. Phil and Roger Ebert take pleasure in being recognized as leading experts in their respective fields. Because of this status they enjoy greater... Read More
You couldn't help but be captivated by the unbelievably cute kid with the amazingly controlled falsetto voice and electric dance moves. He was only 10 years old,... Read More
Voice Mail is a classy name for "answer Machine". Problem is, people at home had answer machines long before most businesses. When the answer machine industry finally... Read More
Many of the business owners I speak with are looking for a relatively small number of new clients. It isn't that they're not ambitious, it's just the... Read More
Over the years as I have attended trade shows, networking meetings, chamber events and more; I have noticed a few things about the successful and the not... Read More
The single biggest, non-renewable asset you have is your time. There are only three things you can do with it: waste it, sell it, or invest it.... Read More
The phone rings. Good news... it's a potential client. You say, "Thanks for calling, I'll send you our brochure." But what should you really be sending... Read More
If you're reading this article, chances are that you, like most professionals these days, understand the value of the Internet. It may be where you go to... Read More
When commercials come on the television do you get up and head for the kitchen to get a snack? Do you tune out the radio when commercials... Read More
The trick to a good promotion is to attach your company details to something useful. Now, there is "private useful" like the promotional toothbrush you use in... Read More
New Year's is a good time for strategic planning or re-planning your business. But don't think that's the only time. If you feel the need to re-consider... Read More
Your marketing weak link could be undermining the rest of your marketing. It is vital that each link in your marketing system supports and builds upon the... Read More
Since the human brain seems to be able to focus on only one thought at a time, it's difficult to evaluate an advertising idea from the perspective... Read More
At the very heart of any successful marketing strategy is the determination of what your present and prospective customers need, want, and desire. You have to find... Read More