Advertising can be costly and any business advertising for the first time must consider carefully the most cost-effective method. A suitable budget should be built into the business plan and its use monitored carefully for effectiveness and control.
All businesses need to advertise in some way. Word of mouth is advertising despite the fact that it cannot be planned or controlled. Advertising is also about image. Businesses must decide what image they want to present - trendy, organised, slightly up-market and so on. The primary way of putting this across is through advertising.
Conferences and Exhibitions provide a good opportunity for businesses to engage with potential customers face to face, maintain or enhance their profile, network and generate new business leads and feedback.
Direct mail is a form of selling that does not involve a personal interview and can be very effective, although the response or conversion rate is much lower than personal selling. It can also be a valuable way of creating positive leads, in the form of enquiries to follow up.
Direct mail involves sending promotional material through the post. It is useful if you want to:
Arguably, the most important function of any business is marketing. To many people marketing just means selling, but it is far more than that. Making a product or providing a service is relatively straightforward. The hard part is ensuring that your potential customers are aware that you exist. It is essential, therefore, to prepare a detailed marketing plan - a plan of action. You need to define your overall marketing objectives, you need to identify your target market and you need to know what 'marketing mix' you will use.
According to PR guru Max Clifford, "public relations involves setting out and creating the best possible image for my clients in the press and media", but how can you use PR to the greatest effect in your business?
Digital Marketing is the practice of promoting products and services using digital distribution channels to reach consumers in a timely, relevant, personal and cost-effective manner. Whilst digital marketing does include many of the techniques and practices contained within the category of Internet Marketing, it extends beyond this by including other channels with which to reach people that do not require the use of The Internet. As a result of this non-reliance on the Internet, the field of digital marketing includes a whole host of elements such as mobile phones, sms/mms, display / banner ads and digital outdoor.
