The first key to successful marketing is to ensure that your customer is getting the right message about your business' product and services! Read the following marketing ideas that are sometimes overlooked.

1. It is important to develop a logo, color scheme and slogan for your business and to make sure that you are consistent in displaying these on all of your promotional piece.

That means any packaging, letterhead, email signature line, invoice and envelope should display your company's logo and slogan.

2. Since customers relate more to visual images, enhance your company's visibility by utilizing photographs of yourself or your product on your promotional items and your website. Customers will more likely connect to someone or something they know.

3. Understand the difference between marketing and selling. Sales are short intervals of time that emphasizes the features or reduced price of one product over another. Marketing is a long term strategy that involves targeting a particular set of customers and stressing how this product will enhance the customer's life. For example: When Joe customer is shopping for a vacuum cleaner on sale, he will first check the advertisements for the best price, then go to the store, listen to a salesperson describe the features of brand X and brand Y, choose one to buy and take it home. But what if Best Vacuum company has already targeted the new residences in the area with a direct mail piece that describes a more expensive and higher quality vacuum cleaner. Best Vacuum company's direct mail would describe how their super duper vacuum cleaner is better than the rest, assuring the customer will have more leisure time. Instead of selling the product, Best Vacuum is selling the benefit of relaxation. This is commonly referred to as "selling the sizzle not the steak."

4. Repeat your message often, be persistent and consistent in your marketing (the same type of mail piece over and over), stress the benefits of buying your product (how is it going to enhance your customer's life) and provide a sense of urgency to buy now (limit the time frame for purchasing or add some special incentive).

No single idea works for every product or service, however companies that take the time to research how to target a particular customer base will certainly be more successful.

Learn more about this author, Becky Rolland.
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