AJ Maser Marketing Tips

Marketing isn't as simple as paid advertising on television or in newspapers. Marketing is any technique used to make the public aware of a company and what it has to offer over its competitors. The variations of marketing activities are vast and encompass almost every kind of media and company-initiated outreach.

Cold-Calling

Whether they call current customers or members of the general public, companies often simply call people up on the phone and offer them services. Although a company may not make a sale as a result of most of these calls, some calls will be successful, and brand loyalty is reinforced in existing customers even if they don't buy anything new. People who were previously unaware of the company might have their interest piqued by the call.

Newsletters and Articles

Sending out a newsletter that announces new happenings in the company, as well as informative articles about the company's industry, are other ways to get the company's message out. Companies might use either an established list of customers and periodically email out the publication, or they might publish articles in other media with which they have no obvious connection — for instance, a financial expert with a weekly advice column in a local paper in which she invites inquiries from readers has the intent to drum up business.

Search Engine Marketing

Creating a website that's among the top results on search engines is another way of marketing services. If a consumer is looking for a product or service for which there are a number of providers, she might simply enter keywords into a search engine and scan the results. Instead of thoroughly comparing each hit, she might choose to look only at the first few websites. Businesses structure their websites and infuse them with keywords and phrases designed to maximize their search engine ranking and garner the greatest volume of customer inquiries.

Trade Shows

In particular for entrepreneurs looking to find retailers to carry their product, trade shows are a form of business-to-business marketing. Owners purchase booth space and sell units of a particular item, sometimes to members of the general public but also to those who can get them shelf space in a large-volume retailer. Even if an entrepreneur doesn't sufficiently impress a retailer at a trade show, the number of units sold to everyday consumers might be enough to convince retailers later on to stock the product.

Product Placement in Entertainment

Moviegoers and online game players often notice products from a part of the script or scene. Companies pay for this privilege: They agree to a payment scheme in return for the marketing benefits that come as a result of a Hollywood star using their product. The same is true of video games, where everyday players navigate through a world populated with products they can find in their local store.