Simply put, marketing lets the world know why they should do business with you and not your competitor.

Marketing informs, educates and influences your target audiences and other stakeholders – about who you are, what you’re offering, how to purchase your product or service, why they should do business with you, where, and when.

All marketing communications activities should be developed with the primary goal of positively impacting your bottom line.

 Some typical target audiences may be:

• Customers (retail or business-to-business)
• Shareholders/Investors
• Employees
• Students
• Legislators
• Key Opinion Leaders
• Others

That depends on several factors.  First and foremost, it’s critical that your business plan includes a detailed marketing plan that contains the latest market research. Marketing communications that focuses on target audience benefits rather than product/service features are most effective.

If you take time to assemble a thorough, well-researched, step-by-step marketing plan, the answers to – “what’s the best marketing mix?” and “which communications tactics will deliver results?” – will become evident.

Of course these are very broad categories, each of which have different marketing tools to reach your specific target audience.

In the long run, the “best” marketing mix and which marketing communications tools you use will likely evolve over time as economic conditions and other business factors change.

 It depends.  The answers may be all, one – or even none of the above.

Don’t get caught up in implementing any one communications tactic just because it’s what you’ve always done or it’s what your competition is doing.

Again, if you have a well-researched, detailed marketing plan – a clear marketing strategy will evolve. Then, the answers to how best to reach your target audiences and which communications tactics to use will become clear.

There are some key points to consider when developing a marketing communications program:

• What are your organization’s key service or product messages?
• What are the best strategies to reach each target audience?
• Which communications tactics should be used and when?

The marketing communications activities and methods to best reach your target audience(s) depends on market research and sales data (for existing organizations).

This data is the “road map” that will lead you to a better understanding of not only the demographics or your target audiences – but also their psychographics, i.e., attributes relating to their attitudes, interests, lifestyle, personality and opinions.

Armed with this information, you can then decide which marketing activities provide the ideal mix for your organization.

The Alexis Group will help you determine the most cost-effective, results-oriented marketing method – whether it’s via traditional or new media, using:

• Consumer Relations/Education
• Professional Relations/Education
• Business-to-Business
• Media Relations
• Investor Relations
• Community Relations

Marketing is an evolutionary process. On a regular basis you should review and refine your marketing plan.

Ask yourself some core questions, for example:

How do you keep your target audiences:

• interested in your product or service?
• interested in your organization?