Marketing is a Multistep Process by:Kristie Lorette

Marketing is not about sending out one email or offering a coupon one time to incite customers to buy

. Marketing is a multistep process that happens over time. This is a point that small business owners, entrepreneurs, and even huge corporations have a tendency to misinterpret. This misinterpretation causes many companies to launch one marketing effort and doom marketing as a failure before it really gets a chance to strut its stuff.

3 keys to marketing success

1. Plan, plan, and then plan some more. You wouldn't get in your car to go on a long trip without plotting out directions for your journey. So why would you launch a marketing campaign or an entire marketing program without a plan in place? Even if you use a napkin and a crayon to do it, put your marketing objectives, and the steps you need to take to reach your goals down on paper.

2. Consistency. Sending one email is not enough to get the attention of your buyers. There are a multitude of ways you can communicate with your customers and potential customers. When you find your ways of communication, consistently use these techniques to speak to and create a dialogue with your customers. If you use an e-newsletter, then make sure you send it out at least once a month. If you mail postcard reminders for special sales and exclusive savings, do this at least once a quarter. Whatever channels of communication you use, put them on a set schedule and then stick to it!

3. Put it to the time test. You have to figure out if a marketing method is going to work for your business. Nobody wants to spend time and money doing something that doesn't work, right? The problem is that you have to give an appropriate amount of testing time to figure out if a marketing technique is a success or a failure. This means you have to consistently use a method for six months to a year before deciding whether or not it works for your business. Running an ad in your local paper? Fine. Don't place the ad once and when you don't get any phone calls, never run it again. To truly determine if the local ad is the way for you to go, you have to run that same ad consistently month after month. If you aren't committed to putting it to the time test, then save your money by not placing the ad at all. This holds true for whatever method you're testing.

These are but three ways to be a successful marketer. The moral of the story is you have to understand that marketing is a multistep process. You have to do many things over and over again over an extended period of time to truly make your marketing program a success.

About the author

Kristie Lorette is copywriter, marketing consultant, and author of Action Marketing: A Step-by-step Guide to Launch Your Business Marketing Plan. She is passionate about helping businesses create and launch marketing programs that sizzle, motivate, and sell. Learn more about Kristie, her services, and her book at http://www.studiokwriting.com.

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