by Lisa Shaw Part 5 of 6 Published July 7, 1997 other columns by Lisa Shaw		Marketing is one aspect of running a business that both beginning and experienced entrepreneurs need to know intimately and use aggressively in order to survive over the long term. The purpose of marketing is to develop and execute a number of different strategies that result in first having prospective customers learn about your business, and then convincing them to give you a try. Repeat customers are the lifeblood of any business, and the best thing about loyal clients is the fact that getting them back incurs no additional marketing costs. They're already convinced about the merits of your business, and you don't have to spend time or money trying to sell them on it. First, define who your primary customer is. Then narrow down your choice of the avenues you have available to reach them, as well as the methods you use. Ask yourself the following questions: Who is the most likely type of person to become a regular customer of your business? Now, describe two other groups of people who would also benefit from your business. What other publications do they read? What TV shows and radio programs do they prefer, if any? Though many entrepreneurs select advertising as their primary form of marketing, this is a big mistake. Advertising is a type of marketing where you pay for a certain amount of space or time so you can tell your message to a particular kind of audience. Since you're paying to send the message, you can say anything you want — time or space and money are the only factors that limit you. Considering these limitations, advertising doesn't really give you much leeway. In fact, because you bought the space, you're obviously selling something, and most people turn right off when someone's trying to sell them something.
Publicity is the best kind of marketing — and the best part is that it's practically free.		Take a look at the ads in your local newspaper or area magazine. What do they look like? How do they make you feel? Is there one in the entire publication that makes you want to drop what you're doing and pick up the phone? I think that publicity is the best kind of marketing you can buy. That's because, aside from the initial costs of preparing a press kit and contacting the media about your business, publicity is free. Plus, when your business is featured in a magazine or newspaper or on radio or TV, it is considered an endorsement of your business by that particular medium. You didn't pay someone to be mentioned as you do whenever you take out an ad, and the audience naturally responds more favorably. Here's a brief rundown of what should go into your press kit: Cover letter: This should be no more than a page. The first paragraph should consist of one sentence, and that line should be enticing and draw the reader in. I frequently like to word it in the form of a question. In the next paragraph, answer the question and then tell how your business will help the editor's readers improve their lives in some way, whether it's to save time or help them to relax. Then tell why you're writing to the editor now, whether it is to alert the media to a special event or to provide them with an introduction to your business. Then provide a few story suggestions. Press release: This should cover the five W's of newswriting — who, where, when, why, and how — again with an enticing lead followed by brief paragraphs that are to the point and provide lots of background information. Bio sheet: This essentially is your résumé in prose format. Sometimes an editor or producer will decide to do a story on your business based on your own personal history, so it helps if you play up something about your life that is unusual or follows current trends in your story. In fact, start right off the bat by making it your headline. For instance, if you've always dreamed of running your own business and either struggled through an unsatisfying menial job for years in order to save up the money, say so.
WEB RESOURCE: U.S. Small Business Administration Online A terrific resource with information about the Small Business Act, tips on starting and financing your business, local resources, and much more.		Past press clips: Frequently, journalists are like cattle: They won't cover a story unless somebody else has done it first. But contrary to popular belief, it's not difficult to get press — in many cases, all you have to do is ask for it. If your business is new or you've done something new for your business, that's news and you should contact a reporter about it. Try it; you'll see how easy it is. Try the business editor at your local daily or the features editor at your local community weekly paper for a start. Glossy black & white photo: Although a newspaper will frequently send a photographer to take a picture to accompany a story about you and your business, some of the smaller papers don't have the budget or the time, and they'll usually publish whatever you send them. A 5x7 or 8x10 glossy black and white photograph — usually a picture of the front of you doing whatever you do at your business and taken at a slight angle — will do. Lisa Shaw has been minding her own business for 16 years. Shaw is the author of more than 20 books on business, travel, and cats; she is also the owner of Litterature, a company that produces greeting cards and gifts for cats and dogs. © 1997 Lisa Shaw. All Rights Reserved.