In this age of the entrepreneur it seems there’s never been a better time to start your own business. And many people do, full of enthusiasm and new ideas. The trick is how to stand out from the crowd and differentiate your new products and services.
This is why marketing is so important and fundamental to business success. If you ask 100 business owners what they think marketing is, you’ll probably get 100 different answers. To many, marketing is seen as a time consuming and expensive activity, not worth pursuing unless orders are down. The trouble is, businesses might start to experience ‘feast and famine’ – so common in smaller businesses and simply not sustainable. Marketing is not something you start and then stop when the orders pick up again. Instead, a well planned marketing strategy should be integrated into your business plan and become part of the whole make-up of your organisation.
Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there. Look at large businesses. They spend loads on a marketing department and are constantly looking for new ways to get themselves noticed. The reality is, small businesses probably need to market themselves more – it’s alright for those who can afford it, but what about the rest of us? How can we afford to market ourselves effectively?
Marketing is a confusing place for those who are not used to it. There are so many businesses offering many different services it’s difficult to know which will be the most effective. There are design agencies offering to do our brochures and websites. And when your friend offers to knock you up a leaflet it’s always tempting to accept. Beware. You can do a lot of damage to your business if you don’t get it right.
How professional will the results be and are you going to impress your customers with home-made leaflets? Then there are companies offering email marketing, blogs and search engine optimisation. It’s no wonder many companies just don’t bother with it at all – it’s far too exhausting!
Good marketing sells. Fact.
Often businesses have all the answers themselves but they are too close to the business to see it.
Marketing is all about understanding your customers in the first instance, what do they want? Then you can work out the best way to communicate with them. So many businesses assume that because they have a fantastic product it’s sure to work. But what good is a great product if nobody hears about it? Or do you waste time telling people who aren’t interested or don’t need your products? Targeting the right customers is vital when it comes to raising that bottom line. Getting some advice in the beginning will help you get it right first time and save you a lot of money in the long run. Gain some advice and benefit from their experience at KK Print & Design.
Call into the store at Unit 6a, Inish Carraig, Golden Island, Athlone, Co Westmeath.
Call them on (090 ) 6477054 or www.kkprinting.com
