[Microsoft] When conducting small business marketing, knowing your target market, having an advertising plan, and using the right business marketing strategies and tools are crucial to reach potential clients and customers. There are a number of business marketing tools you can use to set yourself on the right track of getting your small business big attention.
Business Market Research
The initial step to business marketing is conducting business market research to identify your competitors and target customers. Learning who your target market is can help you create more effective ads and gain business marketing ideas. Learning who your competitors are allows you to research their market strategies in addition to their products and services. Business market research is crucial to all the steps that follow.
Develop a Business Marketing Plan
Develop a marketing plan for initial goals and future goals prior to any advertising purchases. Creating a roadmap will clarify your goals and keep you working in the right direction. Starting with a template for marketing your products and/or services, found in Microsoft Office Professional 2007, can help you remember important details and ensure you don’t miss marketing opportunities.
Send E-mail Marketing
Email Marketing is a cost-effective way to directly contact your customers through email marketing newsletters and promotional offers with opportunity to drive direct sales. When done right, email marketing can create customer awareness, serve as a brand reminder, and help create loyal customers.
Place Advertising
Purchase small business place advertising for traditional media, such as newspapers and magazines, or Internet media with Office Live Small Business adManager. Business adManager can help you place advertising through keywords that are presented to people when they search for specific terms using search engines. You’re then able to target people already searching for products and services you sell, making for a more effective ad campaign.
Use Search Engines
The primary way your business will be found is through a search engine. The SEO guide for small businesses shows how to increase your business in the search rankings within the search engines as well as create paid search advertising to attract consumers who are already interested. Using search engine optimization and search engine marketing allows you to view all visitor interactions while controlling your spending limit.
Use Public Relations Resources
Gain media attention with public relation resources for your business. Your business’s name gets more recognition the more times it is mentioned, whether it is in traditional media or online media. When bloggers, new forums, and other online outlets comment about your latest good doing, your name will be fresh in the search engines, making it appear higher in the rankings. You can handle your business’s Public Relations yourself by submitting information to media representatives or hire a professional.
Consider Business Trade Shows
Attend business trade shows in your field to learn about the latest products and services, business marketing ideas, innovation within your industry as well and to make new business contacts. If you cannot find trade shows and conferences locally, most are worth traveling to. Both you and your employees will learn new industry information that can be applied to your business.
Track Your Marketing Results
Track your business marketing results for both your online marketing and traditional marketing campaigns. Analyze trends in your sales by comparing them against the dates your ads ran. When you build your website with Microsoft Office Live Small Business, Office Live will automatically generate website traffic reports for you, which will help you to better understand what attracts and engages your website visitors.