| The research has been done and your head | | | | they can be effective, they're also |
| is aching from building an | | | | painfully commonplace, meaning that |
| organizational chart and bare bones | | | | you'll need something that grabs an |
| financial model of your first year in | | | | audience's attention very effectively if |
| business. Now what? Now you plan how to | | | | you want to get anything for your |
| market your start-up to your customers, | | | | advertising dollar. It will be a |
| the fifth and final step of a | | | | significant investment on your part to |
| feasibility analysis. | | | | get a radio advertising spot, and |
| Those demographics you researched | | | | television even more so. |
| earlier are going to become tremendously | | | | An effective commercial will be |
| useful in this step. Further, the costs | | | | expensive, so make sure you do it right, |
| of marketing should be factored into | | | | no matter what media you choose to use. |
| your financial planning in step four. In | | | | Professional help in making commercials |
| this step though, the focus is on how to | | | | will go a long way, unless you yourself |
| market. | | | | are a professional. It need not be |
| No piece on marketing is complete | | | | top-notch professionals, but some basic |
| without describing the advertising | | | | information will at least distinguish |
| marketing mediums first. The first and | | | | you from every other poorly-made local |
| perhaps most important promoter is | | | | business commercial. |
| simple word of mouth. The easiest way to | | | | Direct mail, wherein a business mails |
| win good press in this aspect is to | | | | printed advertisements to people |
| please your customers. While it can make | | | | directly, is another solid advertising |
| for a hard-to-ignore testimonial, word | | | | medium. It can work wonders for small |
| of mouth can also be turned against a | | | | businesses catering to a local area, but |
| business. | | | | it's also a scattershot approach, in |
| A single disappointed customer will | | | | that the advertising is being thrown |
| generally talk to more people about | | | | around all over an area, with no |
| their disappointment rather than any | | | | certainty that it will strike a cord |
| good experience they had. Unfortunately, | | | | with even a single customer. |
| there's no way to control word-of-mouth | | | | As with electronic mediums, you'll need |
| marketing save for impersonating (or | | | | to be clever about distinguishing your |
| having someone else impersonate) an | | | | business' mail with the rest of the junk |
| ordinary customer and painting a | | | | mail your intended audience gets on a |
| positive picture of your business. | | | | daily basis. |
| Before the world started to swirl around | | | | Other than sinking more money into |
| electronic media like television, radio, | | | | advertising than it earns back, the |
| and especially the internet, the one | | | | other major mistake of marketing is |
| standard for communication was the | | | | allowing your business to become |
| written word. While it is true that much | | | | over-exposed, so be careful how much you |
| electronic media has replaced some of | | | | advertise. Additionally, if you're |
| the value of written media, it is still | | | | clever about it, you can even get |
| the most affordable and easiest way for | | | | yourself some free advertising. |
| you to get the word out about your | | | | Once you've finished planning your |
| business to a massive audience quickly. | | | | marketing and factoring it in to your |
| Focus your efforts on specific | | | | financial planning, then you should have |
| publications that are likely to be | | | | a pretty clear idea of whether or not |
| picked up by your potential customers. | | | | your business has a chance of |
| Focus on papers that deal with local | | | | succeeding. If things look rosy for your |
| affairs or trade specific journals. You | | | | business, then you're on the right |
| want to view every person who picks up | | | | track. If they look grim, remember that |
| that advertisement as a potential | | | | your plan can be changed to adapt, and |
| customer. | | | | that the right ideas can turn any |
| Electronic mediums, such as radio and | | | | business into a success. |
| television, are a tricky affair. Though | | | | |