Effective Marketing

There are a lot of misconceptions regarding marketing. Marketing is sometimes seen as a synonym for advertising and sales. It has a negative reputation for some people. However proper marketing policies are capable of providing companies with a considerable advantage over their competitors. This of course also applies to your competitors. If you do not have it, that usually means a disadvantage.

Marketing is commonly defined by economists as "Approaching and attracting (potential) customers by focusing on their needs and wishes in order to achieve the business objectives."
This might sounds theoretical, but it also very well applicable. Put simply, it means that it is easier to achieve your objectives, if you offer what the potential customers want. So sales and advertising are only an extension of this approach. Marketing starts with getting to know your customers and their needs. Then you adapt your products, business processes and your customer approach to be in line with this.

Marketing means focusing on the needs and desires

The first step is to make an inventory of the needs and desires of your target group. But once you know what your customers expect, it is of course a challenge to respond to this in a creative and dynamic manner. Who are your current customers and how can new customers be approached? Even large businesses struggle with this. You can find numerous 'case studies' about it on the web. It is helpful to read these through and to learn from the mistakes and the successes of others.

Maybe you have been using the marketing concept unknowingly. But even then it is useful to approach your marketing approach in a systematic manner. With a balanced policy you can achieve your business objectives better. To start with, it concerns questions such as:

• What are the products the company offers?
• What needs do they fullfill? To which extend do they do this?
• What can be improved?

The effect of implementing a smart marketing strategy can be huge. There are plenty of companies that have done this so well, they struggle to meet demand in the short term. Attention to sales and advertising remain important and is part of your marketing plan, but with a completely different meaning than simple hard sales.