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Coming up with an amazing idea is easy. People think of new ideas, products, and services everyday. Therefore, what makes one entrepreneur a success, where others fail? Basically, it’s all in the advertising.
The simple fact is, if you don’t advertise you can’t sell your merchandise. If no one knows about your great product, excellent idea or superb service, they certainly won’t be able to purchase it. Even with the seemingly endless array of items on the market, new ideas always crop up. Competition makes the marketplace prosper and keeps it healthy. It can be a jungle out there, but it absolutely is fun.
Your merchandise is only as good as the market will allow it to be. In other words, no matter how good your product is, if the public doesn’t learn about it, they can’t possibly turn it into a best seller. Without effective promotion and advertising, you will have no sales, no revenues and no success.
Major market leaders have millions of dollars budgeted for advertising because they understand the necessity to stay on top of the game. If the advertising slips, just a little, there are numerous competitors eager to slip in and take the number one spot. This is the reason why corporate giants like McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and Nike continue to gain as much advertising mileage as possible.
Off to Market
When you start up your business, of course, you’ve got to get your name out there. Small businesses, personal trades and home-based ventures are often held back by small advertising budgets. But it is still possible to advertise and get results. Advertising, like any service or product, can be as expensive or as affordable as you want. The idea is to get public attention, and there are many effective means to do just that.
Traditional media are still the most popular means of advertising: print, television, radio, billboards, banners, bulletin announcements, and posters. The trend today, however, is leaning strongly towards digitalization. In fact, advertising online has huge marketing potential for very little cost. Your initial step into digital advertising is to create a good domain with an attractive .com, then file your site to free web directories. Taking this first step can add value to what you are offering.
There are so many techniques to get big results at a small cost. You have to be creative and use whatever means are available.
Create simple but attractive business cards and swap them with other advertisers. Called “networking”, this practice is a priceless way to reach new customers. Propose to barter your services with other businesses, or charge a reduced fee in exchange for promotion within the other establishments. Print flyers and drop them in mailboxes, hand them out to passersby, post them on bulletin boards, or distribute them in terminals and airports. Print your logo on a shirt. Or paint it on your car. The ways to attain cost-effective advertising are only limited by your imagination.
You have to get as much exposure as possible, or your business will suffer. Some people feel self-conscious or even embarrassed about promoting their merchandise. If you’re one of these persons, you need to get over it. Simply posting your product on a website isn’t going to make the phone ring or get the product flying off your shelves.
Get Out There
If you’re already in business, you no doubt have many great advertising concepts. Don’t just think about it; but act on it. Promote your product with all the energy and passion you put into creating it. The market is definitely flooded with goods and services, and you need to make yours positively shine if it’s going to stand out in the crowd. It’s really impossible to name all of the successful products and services on the market. Just imagine how many more have failed because of little or ineffective advertising. You need to get your ideas off of the launching pad if you truly want to get your business on its feet.
Stop the planning board. Get out and advertise. Even just one customer is a success if it’s a customer you didn’t have yesterday. All you require is that one satisfied customer to start spreading the word, and your product can begin to gain in popularity. Having said that, keep in mind that the job of advertising is to get your phone ringing. As soon as those clients order the product or step into your store, the advertising has been a success. At that point, it’s up to you to ensure your product and service are everything you promised they would be, so that your customers will come back for more. “New business is good. Repeat business is gold.”
You’ve already got a great plan. Now, you only need to share it with the world. Think about an effective advertising campaign, and then begin the wheels in motion. You don’t need plenty of money to achieve good promotion. Believe in your product, spread the news, satisfy your customers and finally, reap the rewards.
Tagged with: advertising business • work at home
Filed under: Home Business - MYO