Smart Women and the 4 Basic Marketing Solutions

My 10 year-old son is studying health and nutrition at school and he’s very excited about it. He came home yesterday and asked me to sit down with him so he could explain everything he’s learning. He shared the 4 basic food groups that our family should be eating (vegetables, fruit, meat and grains) as well as some suggestions on what I might prepare for dinner so that our family becomes “balanced.” Last night after he went to bed, I was reflecting on our conversation and thinking about how Smart Women need 4 basic marketing solutions in order to realize their entrepreneurial goals.

When you make the leap into becoming a woman entrepreneur, one of your first thoughts may be, “I need to make money!” You’ve probably invested your own money in your Big Idea and now it’s time to get a return on that investment. There are 4 basic marketing solutions that you can use to help you grow your business. When you use all 4 effectively, the sky is the limit in your business. You create the visibility you need for an effective “buzz’ about you and the service or product you offer.

The 4 basic marketing solutions are:

1. Offline
2. Online
3. Joint Ventures or Collaboration
4. Public Relations and Media

When I first opened the doors to Smart Women Smart Solutions® 6 years ago, I used offline marketing as my primary source of marketing. The business grew but it was painfully slow. After the first 12 months, I realized that in order to reach my goals, I needed an online presence to take the business to the next level. Shortly after that, I began to seek out people who I could collaborate with. (By the way, you don’t need to do them step-by-step like I did.)

The goals you have for your business will determine how much and how often you use these 4 basic marketing solutions. For example: If you have a part-time business that you enjoy and are happy with making a part time income, having an offline and online presence along with a few collaborations could work well for you. If you are a woman with dreams to build an entrepreneurial empire, you’ll need a solid and systemized plan for all 4 of the basic marketing solutions. Just like nutrition, you’ll need to decide what your portion size is!

Here are some examples of the 4 basic marketing solutions:

1.Offline: networking events, public speaking, creating a letter campaign
2. Online: Effective website, electronic newsletter, blogging, social media, article writing for online sites such as www.EzineArticles.com.
3. Joint Venture or Collaboration: The most successful collaborations are when you and your collaborative partner appeal to the same target market. It creates a win-win for everyone. Some examples of collaboration would be hosting teleseminars together or live events.
4. Public Relations and Media: TV shows, radio shows, magazine articles. These are a great way to create a larger “buzz” about your business and gain visibility fast.

Just like a child who is growing to become a healthy adult, your business will have different stages of growth. These stages will require different marketing solutions.

In my son’s nutrition class, one of the best tips the teacher offered was, slow down when you eat. You will have the most success with your marketing if you slow down and take some time to decide which of the marketing solutions best fit your business goals at this time. This is where having a mentor, coach or trusted source can be beneficial.

Once you decide which solutions work best for you, go for it! The key is focus and consistency using a balanced portion from each selection you make.

Bon Appétit!

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.
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