Although marketing is often poorly understood it’s probably one of the most fundamental issues businesses face today. As a professional writer, I invest my time in the development of materials businesses need to promote their products and services – internally and externally. It’s fun work and can be very creative but it’s also highly disciplined and complex. One of the reasons I’m still in this business is that it is absolutely fascinating.

But what is marketing?

The definition I like best is this one:
“Marketing is the range of activities required to funnel potential clients into the sales process.”
That sales process might be focused on signing people up to a new internal program or getting support for a proposed new initiative and the opportunities for marketing it are limitless. Communicators today can advertise, network, create web content and brochures, develop email and newsletter campaigns, sponsor events, develop campaigns, activate a social media presence, create podcasts and run themselves ragged trying to get their program and their message in front of people who might support what they’re promoting.

The problem is that time and money are usually limited and choices must be made.

How do you do that?
Obviously the first step is a communication strategy that will help keep your efforts on track but if you’re stalled at the “on-ramp”, here are three basic steps that might help focus your thinking, no matter what business you’re in or how long you’ve been around.

1. Know exactly what you offer. Getting clear on your service or program’s “brand identity is critically important in the drive to attract the right kind of attention. You need to know how your program or service is special and what problems it solves for potential supporters so that message can be delivered in any written documentation you create.

2. Know your audience. Who is most likely to benefit from your program or service and what do you know about them? Knowing as much as possible about your target audience helps you create an approach, an offer and a channel that appeals directly to the people most likely to opt in. And if you know who you’re targeting, you can filter every promotional opportunity that comes your way by asking if it brings you closer to your target audience or distances you from it.

3. Know your goals. How will you know if this program or service is successful? Knowing the answer to that question will help you balance your promotional investments and keep you from spending too much time or money promoting low-profit programs or services that have only made it as far as your “B” list.

Some people find this type of analysis tedious and it can take a lot of deep thinking to come up with the information a writer like me likes to have on hand before starting to craft copy. The benefit of doing the work, however, is that you are able to present your business in a professional and appealing fashion that positions your organization ahead of your competition and top-of-mind with consumers.

Author Bio: Susan Crossman is a career writer who promotes excellence in communication through writing with clarity. Her freelance writing services include web content,newsletters,reports,speeches and other custom documentation. For more details, please visit her website at http://www.crossmancommunications.com

Category: Writing
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