Back to the Basics - Rediscovering the Power of Marketing
by Jenny Reed

Marketing is not a task to be undertaken separately from your other business activities but rather a fulfilling way to express yourself in all that you do.

Whether your are an entrepreneur starting up or expanding your business, or an intraprenuer looking to make changes and advance in your corporate career, the first question you should ask yourself is:

“How effectively am I marketing myself and my product, project or service?”’

As a business owner, it is a constant challenge to answer this question and find marketing ideas that work. For many years prior to owning a travel agency, I worked as a marketing manager in the corporate world and had access to large marketing budgets. When I went into business on my own, it was quite a different story! Other people’s money now became my money and my budget was not as extensive!

It was time to get back to the basics and put to use some of the techniques and ideas I had learned over the years but on a smaller and more budget-conscious scale.

So just what is effective marketing and how do I make it work for my business? According to a formal definition, marketing is the process of selecting a target audience (or markets) for your services, understanding its wants, needs and expectations, and meeting those needs better than the alternative. Marketing is also a fluid process and it’s client driven (not product driven or site, or union-driven). More importantly marketing is measurable and it’s long term.

What I have learned is that the strategies you use to accomplish your marketing objectives include pubic relations, advertising, community relations, promotions, lobbying, and a host of other communication vehicles. But they are a means to an end, not an end in themselves.

But marketing to me is also more personal. Everything I do is marketing such as my tone of voice when speaking to a customer or prospect, the letterhead and business cards I use, or the promptness in following up on a call. Marketing defines your business, it shapes perceptions and it solidifies a reputation. In all honesty, marketing is selling the product called you.

So how did I put these principals and ideas into practice? These are just a few of the many creative ways I’ve used or plan to use to market my travel business. Whether you own your own business or are driving business for a company, these are simple ideas to put into action.

• Create flyers to distribute to local businesses and target audiences.
• Coordinate a local business fair with other similar businesses (therefore sharing in the costs).
• Be a guest speaker at luncheons, corporations, service clubs and conventions.
• Participate in tele-forums or tele-classes to get ideas and support.
• Place ads in church bulletins or local community publications.
• Ask your past customers for testimonials. Create a book or a comment board displaying these, or post them on your Web site.
• Send monthly e-mails to your clients at their request (This is called permission marketing. Do not SPAM!).
• Create a professional and informative voice mail and change the content regularly.
• Volunteer in your community.
• Write a press release on something notable to your industry and how your company relates to the event/announcement. This provides more useful information for the media.
• Develop an informative website by combining facts with usable content.
• Give a business card to everyone who will take it. Leave it at your beauty salon, favorite restaurants, bookstores – you never know where you’ll get business from.
• Include a business card in the bills you are paying as someone opens that mail.
• Send thank you notes to your customers or make follow up calls and include vendors you work with as well.
• Practice the “Three Feet Rule”. Everyone within three feet of you should know what you do!

I welcome new ideas to add to the list as well. Marketing is an integral part of a business and should be embraced. It can be a challenge but well worth the effort. I am fortunate to have a career that I love. As Harvey McKay says “Do what you love, love what you do, and deliver more than you promise!” Get back to the basics when it comes to marketing and you will succeed!

Jenny Reed
Franchise owner of Cruise Planners
www.OurCruisePlanner.com