85 Inspiring Ways to Market Your Small Business, 2nd Edition

Book excerpt: The book sets out to be your own, pocket, marketing consultant - without the expense. Not only does it offer some great ideas but it explains how each idea will benefit your business, what you need to do to make it work, and how you can apply it to your own business immediately. Through a series of special response questions it cleverly gets across marketing ideas in combination with the vital thinking behind their application. Furthermore, it does so in a way that transfers 'ownership' of these strategies to you the business manager so that you feel thoroughly motivated and inspired to act. Whether you run a product or service-led business, it will help you to: - Understand your market place, your competition and your customer - Create a clear and focused business proposition - Develop credible marketing messages that attract your target customer - Decide on the most effective marketing methods for your business - Attract new customers, and boost business with existing customers - Build your business profile so that it's always working for you - Sell yourself and your business with ease and confidence - Complete your marketing plan and create a successful marketing system The ideas are presented separately in bite-sized chunks so that you can devote just a little thinking and reflection time to each one before - most importantly - making it all happen. Contents: About the Author; Prace; Chapter 1. Introduction; Chapter 2. How to get started - evaluating where you are now; Chapter 3. Getting clear about where you're going; Chapter 4. Understanding your marketplace and your competition; Chapter 5. Understanding your customer; Chapter 6. Creating solid foundations; Chapter 7. Getting the price right; Chapter 8. Developing your marketing message; Chapter 9. Determining your marketing methods; Chapter 10. Marketing methods that boost business with existing customers; Chapter 11. Marketing methods that attract new customers; Chapter 12. Profile building marketing; Chapter 13. Selling your services; Chapter 14. Completing your marketing plan; Chapter 15. The simple things that make a big difference; Chapter 16. Creating a marketing system; Chapter 17. Making it happen.