Marketing Communication

How Conscious Small Business Owners and Healing Arts Practitioners can get their message out

A marketing communication medium is the method you communicate your message to the people who are most likely going to use your service (or product).

Identifying the best way to get your message to your ideal target market is a very important step in developing your marketing plan.

In fact, I encourage you to do NOTHING until you have identified how you will get your message to these people.

Of course if you are starting a new business or private practice, you may want to try a few different marketing communication mediums to see what works the best for you and your ideal clients.

However, make a plan before you spend money on printing or advertising!!! Think it through.

Here are some of the most common marketing communication mediums:

• Print ads - If you can find a publication targeted to your ideal target market, a well done print ad might work. However, in general, print ads are expensive and may be less effective than other types of communication.
• Networking - If you can find a group (or groups) that either consists mainly of your ideal target market, or of many people in it, then by all means go to their meetings. Networking is the most inexpensive and effective means of marketing that I know of. It works best over time... so be patient and keep showing up.
• Referrals - For many healing modalities, like psychotherapy and acupuncture, it makes a lot of sense to generate referrals from other people in the health profession. If this is one of the ways you want to get your message out to your target market, you can develop an entire marketing plan for referral sources.
• Email - Once you have a list of emails, email marketing can be a very important aspect of your ongoing small business marketing strategy. My favorite email direct marketing tool is Constant Contact because it's easy to manage my contact list and create attractive e-news letters. Of course you need to connect with your target market to even build up an email database.
• Mail - It is possible to purchase addresses of certain groups. If you can find a list with your ideal target market, mailing is one way to get your message to them. However, it can be costly.

• Website - If you create a content based website that has information your ideal target market is interested in learning about, you can grow your business in leaps and bounds through internet marketing. Learn about a way to do this here.
• Social E-Networking - Depending on you and your service or product, Facebook and Twitter might make sense. I know of a coach who created a business page on Facebook and attracts new phone clients from it regularly. If you have a well thought out plan that considers your ideal target market's needs and perspectives, social e-networking may be the most inexpensive marketing you can find.
• Articles - Writing articles that are printed in publications that your ideal target market reads can be a great way for people to find out about you and to develop confidence in your "expertness."
• Presentations - If you either enjoy and/or are good at public speaking, presentations can be an excellent way to get your message out to your target market - if you can find a place where they meet.

• Press Release - Sending press releases to your local publications or to any news agency that you think might be interested in your news, can be a free way to get information about you into the world.

One of the most important steps you can take as you develop your small business marketing strategy is to brainstorm about how you will get the message out to your ideal target market. This aspect of your marketing communication is crucial.

If you can't identify any way or ways to get your message to them... I recommend that you find another group!!! Otherwise, you'll create a brochure and NO ONE will ever read it... It will sit in your trunk or closet and grow mold.

Your marketing message

Once you have a way to get your message to your ideal target market, create a message that is positive, inviting, and includes...

1. A way for your target market to discern that the message is talking to them
2. The benefit of the service or product in language they would use
3. A way to try something

Once a person has tried something with you at no risk or low risk, he or she is more likely going to become a client. And you'll both know better what you're getting into and if it is a match.

Trying something may be a first session, a trial package, a free consultation, a workshop... you get to decide.

It doesn't have to be free, but free is obviously a very low risk.

Think through your marketing communication, what offer makes sense to give to the people in your ideal target market? Can you imagine someone doing it?

If yes, then put your plan into action.

Go from marketing communication to definition of marketing for more information about how to improve your marketing.