Marketing Q&A

Are you looking for help with a marketing question? We provide marketing advice and marketing help for common questions in marketing.

Either read the Q&A; of frequently asked questions below, or fill in the form to get a quick response to your question. Questions & answers will be posted promptly back here as well as via email if you enter an email address (that part is optional).

Alternatively, you can contact us to ask a private marketing question.

A: Many people use a variation of their own names to come up with company names, but that usually only makes sense if your name is already recognizable to your target customer base.

A better approach is to try to write down the types of keywords that describe the value proposition of your products or services to your target marget. See if you can come up with a name that resonates with that value proposition. Another thing to keep in mind is that your company name should be easy to find online: the domain name should be available (preferably as a .com), and it’s great if the name includes a keyword or two that customers might use when searching for a product like yours.

We’ve put together a list of the top ten things to consider in naming your business, so take a look at it here.

Q: What is a Marketing Plan?

A: The marketing plan is a written document which describes all the marketing tactics and activities that the business will focus on, usually including a marketing budget and timeline. Often, the marketing plan includes a section on the marketing strategy also.

This article describes what is a marketing plan, and how it relates to the business goals, market strategy, and marketing mix.

Basically, your marketing plan is where you describe what market segment you are going after, what target customers, who is your competition, what is your unique value proposition, and then finally what promotion activities you will engage in (such as blogging, marketing materials, tradeshows, advertising, website, etc).

Q: How Can I Advertise My Services Website?

A: You need to make sure that potential customers are able to easily find your website. Make sure it is search engine friendly (good use of keywords) and you have submitted it to the search engines.

It can take a lot of traffic before you start to see business through your website. Not only is it true that most visitors do not purchase, and most do not purchase on the first visit. But it also takes time for a new website to get credibility in the eyes of the search engines as well as potential customers.

To help drive potential customers to your website, you can advertise it in online forums or discussion boards, get your site listed in some online directories. You could also use Craigslist or eBay, or some of the freelance sites like eLance.com and guru.com (also look for some that are specialized to your particular services area).

For additional help with your online marketing question, take a look at this article for help on developing your internet marketing strategy.

Q: How Can A Company Go About Marketing Research?

A: We have a couple of resources that could be helpful to you:

There are a number of sites you can use to define and execute a marketing research plan. This marketing research article shows you how.

Also, you need to research the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) of your business or product idea. Take a look at this overview of doing a SWOT analysis.

Q: How Do I Develop A Good Slogan?

A: You should first come up with your Unique Selling Proposition: what is the benefit that makes your product or service unique compared to its competitors? What customer segment do you target? (luxury, budget,…) Then use that to put together your slogan. Ideally, it should be less than about 12 words.

Take a look at this article with some tips for good advertising taglines.

Q: What Are The Main Sections That Should Be Included In A Marketing Plan?

A: Take a look at this marketing plan outline. It should have all the pieces you are looking for to put together a strong marketing plan.

Q: What Are Some Marketing Strategies That Would Help A Company Accomplish Customer Acquisition And Retention?

A: If you want to focus on customer acquisition and retention (an excellent strategy in a recession, by the way) then you should focus on marketing strategies that build customer relationship.

Here are a few ideas:

• Build a mailing list (opt-in) and publish a regular customer newsletter to both existing customers and potential prospects.
• Send out a customer survey. Ask for feedback (both positive and negative), ask for ideas on complementary products/features, and ask them how they are being affected by the recession.

For some more ideas, take a look at this article which includes 100 easy marketing tips.

If you didn’t see your marketing question listed here, then please scroll back up to the top of the page and fill in the marketing question request form. We will respond to your question within 24 hours.