MAIN Business Marketing

What's the biggest difference between a great business and one that's a flop? Effective marketing.

Marketing covers finding your audience and pitching your business in terms they will understand — and in places they will be.

As far as marketing goes, if a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it... it does not make a noise! Getting traffic to your store or your e-commerce site is the direct result of a well planned marketing strategy.

Without a good marketing strategy, your fantastic product will never get a chance to be seen.

There is an endless supply of marketing advice and how to's online. Demographics, guerilla marketing, direct marketing, channel distribution, market share, branding, developing trust ... these are just a few of the concepts you need to explore before you can put a plan together.

Even the pro's make mistakes. The worst examples of marketing gone bad make for entertaining reading in business marketing courses, but there's nothing funny about marketing blunders when your company is affected.

Whether you decide to go with a professional marketing or public relations firm or do it yourself, you need to know the basics to keep your business and your dreams alive.

Your marketing budget may be tight, but that only means you'll need to make absolutely sure that the money you spend will have the expected returns. The smaller your budget, the more important it is to spend it on the most effective marketing tactics.

The recipe for a successful business starts with a good product and excellent customer service, but marketing comes right after that. Before you start spending money on advertising, get your marketing strategy in place and stick to it. Evaluate the results and make the changes you need. Repeat as often as necessary until you find a marketing plan that works for your business.

More about marketing around the Web:

Get the highlights and lowdown on current best practices in marketing at top sites for marketing, advertising and public relations companies, news and info, plus mega-lists of resources to international trade and promotion, along with a cache of story articles on e-commerce and online marketing.

KnowThis: Marketing Virtual Library - A gold mine of industry information with choice links and resources for those involved in marketing, market research, advertising, public relations, selling, and promotion.

The Times 100 UK: Business Case Studies - Excellent UK site offering students and researchers an inside look at marketing studies conducted by top companies; along with related resources, business news and more.

CyberAtlas: Internet Statistics and Market Research - A powerhouse of up-to-date information with the latest survey results on Internet usage and e-commerce.

Zenith Media: The Marketer's Portal - A comprehensive entry point to links for business, media, marketing, public relations firms, and related resources.

The Thompson Group Update Newsletter - California based marketing organization offering advice, links to related articles, and recommended books.

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