Marketing is a Habit

Consistent marketing is one of the key factors in running a successful small business. Though this is a fairly common advice you get everyday, many entrepreneurs still believe marketing is a quick-fix solution to get things moving.

On the contrary, marketing is a like a habit that you should do every single day. It takes a lot of time, planning, patience, and discipline to make this work. No wonder many fail at this aspect. Here are some of the simple things you could add to your regular schedule to make your marketing more consistent:

1. Talk with at least one customer every day to gather feedback and even fresh perspectives.
2. Send at least one e-mail or make one call to your prospects every day.
3. Follow up on at least one prospect every day.
4. Update your customer database regularly. The more you know about your customer, the better your chance of survival.
5. Conduct surveys periodically to gauge customer satisfaction.
6. Send personal cards to loyal customers and offer rewards through discounts or freebies.
7. Share your expertise to your customers by providing intelligent counseling through e-mail newsletters or blogs. You can also provide case studies on how your products or services helped customers solve their problems.
8. Host a free seminar, podcast or webinar relevant to your target market.
9. Actively participate in associations, online forums, and networking events connected to your industry.
10. Monitor the strategies and tactics of your competitors. A more detailed discussion will be dedicated to this aspect later