Marketing is the act of deliberately stimulating consumer demand for particular products and services; possibly including range of a specific target market; selection of particular attributes or themes for marketing; and establishment of the prospect of selling. It should be considered that marketing can also be a strategic process with the aim of developing long-term relationships with customers and providing them with the right information, products or services. It has been found that customers are more influenced by marketing activities than by the quality, design or technology of the offerings. Marketing has a key role in all business activities. Marketing is not an independent art but rather an integrated practice dependent upon certain core principles, among which are (but not limited to):
Strategic Marketing This is the usage of the same marketing strategy repeatedly to drive consumers to purchase a product. Thus, marketing involves establishing long term relations with consumers and the intention to continuously present them with new and improved offerings. Strategic marketing involves long-term planning and implementation of various plans. Thus, marketing involves developing long term relationships with consumers and the intention to continually present them with new and improved offerings.
Keyword Marketing This is the use of selected keywords to drive traffic to websites. It is one of the major factors that affect search engine rankings. Therefore, keyword marketing involves extensive research on consumer behavior and the associated keywords. It is one of the 4 Ps of marketing.
Inbound Marketing This is the use of the right content in the right place at the right time to attract consumers. Inbound marketing strategies are mostly used by small businesses to reach out to niche markets that are not yet reached by mainstream companies. Inbound marketing strategies include online advertising, web 2.0 strategies, list building and other forms of direct customer contact.
Outbound Marketing This is the use of physical strategies to reach out to consumers. These include telemarketing and buying presentations. Outbound marketing refers to direct marketing by personal contact. It is one of the 4 Ps of marketing. Telemarketing is done by phone and buying presentations is done face to face. It is very important to track the success of any marketing campaign as it changes over a period of time.
Outsourcing is the use of hired professionals to complete tasks instead of hiring in-house employees. Outsourcing is very advantageous to small enterprises because it frees up capital that can be invested in areas like customer service, sales and marketing. Outsourcing helps to keep costs down and also allows more employees to be employed at a lower cost of salary. Outsourcing has become a very effective marketing plan for the modern marketer.
