Why Marketing? Because Photos Don't Sell Themselves!Why marketing? Yes, I knew what it was and how important it is to business exposure, growth and success. But, I didn’t know much, beyond that. Like most business owners, I was left with the question of: “How can I attract new clients consistently?” For me, marketing was a real mystery. I didn’t know exactly how it worked. I wasn’t sure what would be the most effective for me. And I didn’t have any idea where to start. Like many professional business owners, I just did “the best that I could” and hoped for referrals from satisfied customers. Needless to say, building my business’ popularity and customer base was a very long-term process. Fortunately, I eventually found that the process of attracting new clients and developing and implementing a plan for my business wasn’t nearly as difficult as it had seemed. I found a great resource that worked for me. First of all, it helped me to grasp the concept. It helped me to pinpoint the value of my business to the customers that were looking for my services. And, it helped me to be clear on how to market online versus how to successfully market in the traditional manner, offline. Author, Robert Middleton, was the main reason the process was de-mystified for me. His website offers tools, resources and articles. His best offer is his free ezine. The ezine is a bonus that he provides when you download his free “Marketing Plan Workbook.” The workbook walks you through the steps of identifying and developing a working and practical plan that specifically fits your business. His ezine regularly delivers helpful articles. The workbook is very good! But, I like the ezine the best. You get them both when you download the free
Mr. Middleton has been helping service business owners, mostly professionals such as management and technical consultants, trainers, business coaches, financial and employment professionals and others, both develop and then implement plans that “work” since 1984. His method is about leveraging what you know to gain visibility and credibility. You will get a thorough education just by taking advantage of all the free stuff. Do yourself a favor and take a look at this free resource. You’ll be very glad that you did! I wish you all the best in your successful business. I would like to share the following resources with you. It's A Process: Understanding what this means is essential to your success. Too often, we confuse advertising and activities with marketing. Visit this page to get a better understanding of what the difference means to your success. Tactics: What exactly is a marketing tactic? In his informative free ezine, author and expert Robert Middleton offers the following definition of a tactic: "My best definition is: A tactic is any activity that creates a connection between you and a prospective client, which moves them closer to doing business with you." Go to this section to see Robert Middleton's "Seven Step Model" for effective tactics. In my opinion, Robert Middleton offers very practical, effective and solid education through his free ezine. The "Seven Step Model" article is a great example of how he provides valuable information and education. He offers great products for sale. But, he gives away a great deal of valuable resources for free - such as his free ezine and his "Free Workbook." It's worth taking a look! Marketing Plan Tips: Having a solid plan is critical, of course. But, where do you start? Try these tips - they're a good start or refresher. Sample Plans: This link leads to a variety of samples. There has to be something for you - especially if you use your imagination and are clear on your business dreams! The 5 minute Plan: Great excercise from a great resource. Free Resources: Trust me, "free" on the internet can be very, very good. Many advertisers are so confident in the quality of their products/services that they offer them for free feeling that once their products/services are tried, customers will purchase - once they've "test-drove" the product/service. The good thing for the average internet user is that often "free" is good - very, very good. This link has examples of great free resources. Website Resources: Successfully promoting a website is very "do-able." Try these resources. Take your time. Keep asking questions! Research everything and keep asking questions. Remember, your website should do what you want it to do - not what a web hosting company or web designer wants it to do. You don't have to be tech-savvy to have a successful website. If you're interested, here's my personal story about a successful website. Startup Internet Marketing
|
