Let’s get something straight: marketing isn’t sales.

Marketing isn’t creating fancy advertisements or jaw-dropping sales pitches, it’s about one thing: understanding your market. If you, or your company, understand this, then you’re well on your way to success. If not, the road ahead could be a long uphill battle.

Marketing is the ultimate tool in sales support and the open line of communication between you and your customers. Like any great relationship, marketing is about give and take: give your customers what they want and take what they give you in return. It may be payment for a product or service, or it may be invaluable feedback on a new prototype in development. When your customers get what they want, a relationship is built and loyalty is gained. Loyalty builds disciples and disciples are the most effective way of growing your business.

Understanding Your Market

Whether you sell to end-users (B2C) or other businesses (B2B), understanding your market is the first step toward your business’s ultimate success. Before the prototypes and expenses, sales plans and advertisements, you need to know to whom you’re selling your products. Are you solving a pain or filling a void? If yes, then you have something to work with. If not, why are you in business? Reality is harsh and business can be unforgiving. It’s best to understand your clients and give them exactly what they want.

More than a simple SWOT Analysis, you need to know your competitors and the internal/external forces that will work for and against you. You need to understand the buying behavior of your clients and your competitors. This invaluable information will be essential when developing new products, marketing strategies and sales plans to get your products to market and into the hands of potential clients. In-depth research like this isn’t easy, but it pays for itself ten-fold months and years down the line.

Social Media

The catch phrase of 2010, social media is not going away anytime soon. The question is whether your company’s social media strategy is going to help you sink, or swim, in this new era of consumer engagement. Never before have businesses been able to proactively manage the customer service experience. The key is engaging your clients on their terms, not yours – it’s PULL vs. PUSH. Perhaps Twitter is more your style, or it could be Facebook, a blog, or custom mobile application. Without a well thought-out strategy and execution plan, prayer is all you’ve got. And in this day and age, it’s not going to be enough.

So let’s talk and see where your business can take you. Your clients are waiting.