Marketing Your Business: More Than Just Advertising

Marketing Your Business: More Than Just Advertising

For many people, marketing and advertising are synonymous. But that’s actually not true. While advertising is an essential marketing tool, it is not, in and of itself, marketing. Marketing is actually a much broader strategy. BusinessDictonary.com defines marketing as follows:

“The management process through which goods and services move from concept to the customer. It includes the coordination of four elements called the 4 P’s of marketing:

1. Identification, selection and development of a product,
2. Determination of its price,
3. Selection of a distribution channel to reach the customer’s place, and
4. Development and implementation of a promotional strategy.

It’s in the context of the promotional strategy that many business owners confuse advertising and marketing. But it’s important to understand that, while product advertising is an essential element of an overall marketing strategy, it’s not all there is to marketing. Far from it, in fact.

Before you can expect product advertising to be of maximum effectiveness, you have to invest some time and money on marketing your company’s brand and image. This is especially true if you market products or services that are offered elsewhere.

Think about that for a moment…

If, for example, you market tablet computers and other mobile devices, why should consumers even consider buying from you? Those things are widely available. So you have to set yourself apart, in some way, from the competition in the minds of your prospective customers. Even if you market a proprietary product or service, you have to build and maintain a positive brand image before your product advertising will work as well as you’d like. The process of doing that involves marketing.

The standard tools to accomplish this include things like the company name and a unique logo printed on letterhead, business cards, brochures, and other printed materials. But there are other ways to get your company noticed in the marketplace. These include an information-rich company website, an active, informative blog, an active social media presence, and integrated multi-media pieces, among others.

Remember, we live in an information age. More and more consumers and businesses are drawn to product and service providers who they view as experts in their field. When the marketing tools you employ are effectively used to position your company as  the “go to” expert in your field, you can begin to expect your product advertising to produce the desired result.

To learn more about marketing your business, including how media integration can improve your overall marketing strategy, contact us online or call 877-428-2610. We also invite you to follow us on Twitter.

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