A good marketing plan has many facets to it – or at least it should. When a company focuses their marketing on just one avenue of promotion, they are limiting themselves and the effectiveness of their promotional efforts. An effective marketing program should have some or all of the following:

– Website – A website is no longer a nice option. With the advancement of technology, a good portion of the world’s population uses a computer – from desktop to laptop to handheld – and the best way to reach them or let them know about your company and your products or services is to have a website that tells a prospective customer who you are, where you are located, and what you do. A company without a website is immediately eliminating their access to a large part of their market.

– Blog – Blogging has become a way to “send a note” to millions of people. By using blogging as a marketing tool, companies are able to give the marketplace an opportunity to get to know more about who they are, what they do, and what they stand for. Blogging can bring a personal element into what can be an impersonal world of Internet marketing.

– Facebook and/or other social media – While social media is typically not effective for “selling,” it is extremely helpful for getting your business name in front of millions of people. If your business is a service business that is looking for customers in your local area, social media is a very efficient tool for getting neighbors to tell neighbors. In fact, Facebook is “word of mouth” marketing at its best and strongest.

– Twitter – This marketing medium is simply a series of short messages sent out each day to people who “opt in” to follow you on Twitter. Messages are short, informative, or entertaining and can be useful for businesses in keeping their customers informed or getting potential customers interested.

– Postcard Mailings – While technology is a strong part of marketing in today’s world, postcard mailings are still an important piece of a well-rounded marketing plan. These mailings give your customers, or potential customers, information about your business in a retainable form that can be placed on their desk, hung on the refrigerator, or kept in their purse or wallet to remind them of an event, inform them of a new product, or keep your company’s name in front of them.

– Article writing – There are millions of sites on the Internet that are constantly looking for information on a variety of topics. Article writing can get your information into the hands of millions of people and help create credibility for you and your business as “experts” in your field. If you or someone in your company does not have the talent, experience, or expertise for writing articles, there are companies who can provide that service for you.

– Monthly or Quarterly Newsletter – Many businesses forget about marketing to their already established customers, and that’s a large mistake. Customers need to feel valued and informed, and a monthly or quarterly newsletter provides businesses a way to do just that. Newsletters can be mailed or they can be delivered through email. They should not be used as a “sales piece” but instead as a way to provide your customers with important and useful information about your field of expertise.

– Press Releases – All media, from local newspapers, magazines, radio programs or television stations to Internet sites and blog programs, need people and stories to fill their slots and their spaces. A press release is the generally accepted method for providing information to those outlets.

– Direct Marketing – There are times that the best form of marketing is to get physical materials into the hands of your customers or prospective customers, and that’s where direct marketing comes in. Direct marketing materials include mailers, flyers and even catalogs, and are generally mailed directly to your target market.

Marketing is an important and essential part of any business and one that should be approached with forethought and planning and have many different facets and approaches contained within it. If your business does not have the knowledge or expertise to develop a good, thorough, many faceted marketing plan, it will be money well spent to find an business that can provide that service for you.

Author Bio: As CEO of Galaxy Marketing Solutions and an expert in Dental Practice Marketing Jyrki Ikonen works exclusively with dental clients helping them increase their patient flow through proven professional marketing campaigns.

Category: Marketing
Keywords: dental marketing, dental practice consultant, marketing consultant, dental marketing solutions