Published:

09/24/2012 01:04am

Marketing Is Like Growing Vegetables

Growing vegetables seems so natural - the right thing to do. But it's not really that simple. At first the beginner gardener thinks they will just find a patch of soil and throw in some plants. But I know, and you probably know better, that there are many factors in making a garden successful. Soil, fertilizer, sun, moisture, weather conditions, spacing of the plants, bugs, pests, etc. all need to be considered.

Marketing is the same way. Sure, in the broad sense marketing is anything that promotes your business - but marketing includes a lot of factors from what your product/service is, to how you price it and where you distribute it. It can also include many different ways of promoting your business such as: brochures, newspaper ads, your website, email marketing, publicity, social media, and more. Other areas of expertise within marketing include strategic planning, branding, graphic design, web design, search engine optimization and copywriting.

For anyone trying to figure out how to market their business it's very important to realize that there are all of these different ways, methods and specialties. How do you navigate the web of marketing services available?

• Be clear about what your product/service is and who your ideal customer is.

• Consider a variety of options and judge them against what you want to achieve and the resources required to execute them.

• When hiring someone ask lots of questions so you understand what they can or can't do for you.

In the world of corporations... it is common to have marketing staff, as well as hire an outside advertising agency. The corporate marketing staff are responsible for gathering information from other departments, setting priorities for marketing efforts, and informing staff of what will be happening. At the agency, an account executive will collect information from the corporations marketing staff and then work with a team of graphic designers, web developers, copywriters and other staff to create marketing materials and programs.

Confusing? Let me sum it up by saying that a lot of effort is put into organizing marketing efforts. So when you work on your own marketing efforts, expect it to take time to decide what is best, and to coordinate everything so it happens. Be prepared to work with a variety of people who will understand and interpret things differently.

And just like your garden, with patience and perseverance, your marketing will also provide positive results!

Susan Ratz of Milkweed Marketing specializes in providing virtual marketing support for green inspired businesses. Her business background, as well as her marketing and not-for-profit experience help small business owners find and keep customers while generating more revenue. Get Susan's free report "7 Online Marketing Trends Green Inspired Businesses Need to Know" at http://www.milkweedmarketing.com