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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 your plan can be put 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. Related
SEO Tips & How To Articles: also
see in Business -> Advertising
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