One of the things I try to do here is to deconstruct some of the business terms that you may notice flying around and wonder how on earth they apply to your little home-based business. After all, many of us get into business without really knowing or understanding much about the nitty gritty of the business world. Since I have such a strong background in marketing and public relations—that is one of the areas where I have a little better understanding (although I’m still bumbling along as a beginner too!). One very trendy term and business philosophy is “integrated marketing”…
Basically, integrated marketing just means that all of your marketing efforts—whether it is web, print, direct sales, word-of-mouth, or whatever—they all fall under the same overall marketing plan. Instead of piecing together several different ideas and efforts, integrated marketing means that you have an overarching plan or goal that is guiding your marketing endeavors. This might seem pretty obvious for a tiny, home-based business—but it is a relatively radical idea for large companies and corporations. In the past, there may have been several different marketing campaigns geared toward different demographics or selling different products. Now, with integrated marketing, everything comes under the same heading and everything works together.
This is a good approach for a beginning marketer as it will help you develop an understanding of your product and your market and a plan that guides all of your marketing efforts. This way, if you get confused or wonder what you should do next, you can go back to your integrated marketing plan. With this approach, you can ask yourself how your web advertising works with your print advertising, and whether you are using e-mail, phone, radio or any other means—to further your overall marketing plan.
See Also: Brand New to Advertising?
Choosing the Right Words to Use in Your Marketing