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1. Use "reference" information. Think about the kind of information your prospect will want to refer to again and again.

2. Give information that is useful to everyone in your target market, whether they buy from you or not.

3. Be as targeted as possible in your information. It should be specific to your market, your profession, your location, and so on, to make your piece memorable.

There's a well-known marketing adage that states: Nobody buys a drill because they want a drill - they want a hole.

In other words, instead of supplying information about drills, you should provide information about making holes. (OK, so you're quite possibly not selling drills - but what is the "drill" and what is the "hole" in your business?) This strategy will give you more sales leads who are genuinely interested in your offering, and will build more rapport with prospective customers.

By Biana Babinsky, Online Marketing Expert, MarketingSalad.com

Are you using social networking sites because you want to get more clients and customers?

I blogged here the other day about what marketing isn't....

...this morning I listened to the replay of a teleclass from Joe Vitale and Craig Perrine about some of the principles in their new book 'Inspired Marketing'. In the process I came across a lovely definition of marketing which I wanted to share.

Here is it:

"Marketing is sharing your enthusiasm for what you have, with the people who most want to hear it", Joe Vitale

No definition of marketing is perfect, but that's a great one, in my book.

By Alice Elliott, Alice Designs, http://www.alice-designs.co.uk

If you read my post last week on referral postcards, you can have a chance to view what I mean by visiting http://www.alice-designs.co.uk/postcards.html. This idea has also been adapted into a feedback form (also shown) to gain more marketing knowledge about what your customers really want.

What is marketing, anyway?

Definitions abound, but one thing marketing isn't, is simply pushing your name out there randomly to anyone who will listen.

Instead, it’s about building relationships. Avoid blowing your entire marketing budget on a single marketing method, such as advertising, and focus on investing your time, energy and imagination into starting and developing closer ties with potential, current and past customers.

As with any relationship, trust is scant at the beginning. You don't know them, they don't know you.

It's simple common sense to control expenditure, but don't skimp on the important things. For example, in your marketing, ensure that you make good use of low-cost and no-cost marketing tools such as referrals, fusion marketing and testimonials, but don't have an unprofessional looking website done 'on the cheap' which could potentially damage your reputation and credibility.

Make sure you have a clear reason and justification for all expenditure, including your time. A great principle when it comes to how you spend your time is to do only

You know it. I know it. Creating delighted customers and raving fans of your company is hugely important for ensuring the ongoing success of any business.

You hear plenty of lip service being paid to providing excellent customer service, but how many companies have you experienced as a customer that have provided you with truly outstanding, overwhelmingly fabulous service? Service that means you'll never forget that company and that has earned your undying loyalty?

By Alice Elliott, Alice Designs, http://www.alice-designs.co.uk

Are you able to be the cheapest in your field? Do you want to be the cheapest? The answer to both questions is very probably not.

Naturally enough, very few small companies are able to be the market leader on price. That's a tactic used mainly by the big guys, because they can afford to make up for low margins with huge volumes.

So what about the rest of us? How do we price our products and services to achieve the best possible profit without excluding potential customers?