Effective Marketing Isn't a Game

By Louis Burleson
Posted Monday, October 4, 2004

Marketing strategies abound on the internet. We all know that bad advice is floating all around the net.

Your marketing must work seriously, if you have intentions of making a decent e-income. How do you decipher the junk from the gems? I am not going to present a marketing plan to you. I am going to show you what, why and how every marketer should use a checklist, for effective marketing with every business plan.

First and foremost, there must be a real need for what you are trying to sell. If enough research has "not" been done, you will have very low chances of success.

O.K., let's assume that you already have a good product or service. The sales and marketing team is supposed to promote it after finding out "who" needs this product or service. If the product or service has a target market, these people should be ready to promote for profit! Regardless of the motive for starting a home business, the product must be sold and always at a profit.

Here are a few things that you need to look for when you are wondering if your marketing plan will be effective:

1. You will need a market summary to determine if there is a need for your offer.

2. You must clearly be able to explain your product or service definition.

3. You need to do some ethical research on your possible competition.

4. Positioning is something many people worry about. If you have a good, well rounded plan or method, this should fall in place, if you are patient. Spending a lot of time and money to position your business is useless, until you know what your market will buy from you. Beautiful and popular websites are only one part of the sales process.

5. Communication strategies are very important. Know who to contact and build your business image.

6. You must have a launch plan set in place, if this applies.

7. Public relations, advertising and other types of promotion should be considered, according to your budget.

8. Next comes pricing and distribution, if this applies to you.

9. Vertical and related markets must be examined.

10. Consider international markets for a broader customer base.

11. Metrics can help but there is a cost to equip yourself with metrics. If cost is a factor, look into metrics after you acquire some experience and profits.

12. A marketing schedule needs to be mapped out. Inconsistent marketing will get you no place. Have a plan and a set schedule to promote your offer. Never get lax about that schedule.

You now have a way to get started with an effective marketing plan. No matter what you intend on selling, you must have a concrete and organised, sell-for-profit-plan.

About the Author
Article by Louis Burleson of JenRich Publishing. Louis's site has helped people profit online. Visit (http://www.milliondollarmarketingstrategies.com) for "how-to" marketing information and more. No time to visit the web site. You can download a free evaluation version here... (http://shmyl.com/xzdison)