small business marketing basics

Small Business Small Business Marketing BasicsMarketing Basics

or …or …

A Tree Falling in the ForestA Tree Falling in the Forest

About Hammster MediaAbout Hammster Media©©

Lisa Hamm-Greenawalt Chief Hammster

Transplanted New Yorker … Former Journalist

Services include:

• PR/Marketing• Social Media/Web Content• Writing/Editing• Graphic Design/Publications/Promotional Materials• Communications Plans

Falling TreesFalling Trees

You can have the greatest product or service in the world, but if no one

knows about it, who cares?

Don’t be the tree falling in

the forest that no one hears.

What is Marketing?What is Marketing?Everything you do to get

your potential customers andyour product or service together.

The name of the game is

ATTRACTING & RETAININGa growing base of satisfied customers.

Your IdentityYour Identity

You can’t be effective at marketing until you think through:

WHO YOU ARE

and

WHAT YOU HAVE

TO OFFER

Your Products or ServicesYour Products or Services

• What is your product?

• What need does it fulfill?

• How is it different and unique?

• Why should people buy it?

Size Up the CompetitionSize Up the Competition

Who is your Competition?

– Current

– Potential – Substitute

Learn from ThemLearn from Them

• Territory

• Customers

• Distribution

• Price/Value

• Growth Plans

• Marketing Strategy

Use What You LearnedUse What You Learned

Become more competitive

• Collect Info• Interpret Info• Evaluate• Respond• Become different• Become stronger

Brand YourselfBrand Yourself

Get your prospects to see you as the only one that provides a solution to

their problem.

A Good Brand:– Delivers your message clearly– Confirms your credibility– Connects your target prospects emotionally– Motivates the buyer– Builds loyalty

Name that TaglineName that Tagline

MarketMarket

Who Are Your Customers?

• Create your ideal customer/client

• What are their buying behaviors?

• How do they get their information?

How Do You Reach Them?How Do You Reach Them?

Marketing TechniquesMarketing Techniques

• New! New ! New!• Become a valuable resource • Separate yourself from the competition• Promote the end result• Media – press releases, calendar items,

relationships with reporters

More Marketing TechniquesMore Marketing Techniques

• Anticipate change

• Partnerships, referrals, community involvement

• Printed materials (posters, flyers, postcards)

• Nurture relationships

Digital MarketingDigital Marketing

Website … social media …

online advertising … SEO

Email MarketingEmail Marketing

Email marketing is an effective and inexpensive way to communicate with your

constituents and clients

RelationshipsRelationships

Never underestimate the power of

face-to-face contact• Partnerships• Community presence• Chamber of Commerce• Personal sales• Telephone• Mail and thank yous

Advertising & SponsorshipsAdvertising & Sponsorships

Build some $ in your marketing budget for advertising

• Local publications

• Internet

• Radio/TV

• Your target market publications

• Sponsorships

Integrate EverythingIntegrate Everything

Integrate all your marketing

• Emails should lead to your website.• Facebook should go to your website.• Press releases should go to your website.• Ads and flyers should go to your website.• Promote across all platforms.

““Money follows passionMoney follows passion——

not the other way around.” not the other way around.”

– Entrepreneur and marketer David Garland

Final ThoughtFinal Thought

Marketing Never Ends.

small business marketing basics

Business

advertising sponsorshipsbuild

marketing techniques

marketing budget

marketing emails

base ofsatisfied customers

target prospects

effective andinexpensive

greatest product orservice