Promotion is the single most important marketing activity small business owners can perform. Think of it this way...you can have a great product or service, but if no one knows about it then your business is doomed!

What is Promotion anyways? Promotion is communicating with your prospects and current customer base. It must convince those you are trying to reach (target market) that what you can offer them is different or better than what your competition offers. This creates a unique feature of your company and the products or services offered and can be "perceived" by your target market to be better or different. This perceived difference is important because this will allow you to sell more of your product or service.

Introduction to the Mix. The Promotional Mix is comprised of four important components:

1. Advertising
2. Publicity
3. Personal Selling
4. Sales Promotion

Each one of these components will help you to accomplish different promotional goals that you have for your business.

Promotional Goals. Whatever type of promotion you choose for your business, you need to accomplish one of these Promotional Goals. There are three basic promotional goals:

Informational

This is usually done in the early stages of a new business. It explains purpose or benefit of a product or service. Complex products or services often require informative promotion in order to explain its technical benefits.

EXAMPLE: "Visit us at Galaxy Computer Corp. We provide specialized software training to all sizes of business."

Persuasive

This attempts to motivate prospect to buy your product or service or visit your business. Typically, this becomes the primary promotional goal once you feel your prospects and current customers are fully informed about your products and services. The purpose is to convince your prospects and current customers to buy from your business versus your competitors.

EXAMPLE: "Galaxy Computer Corp offers the lowest prices in town!"

Reminder

This is used to keep your business in the mind of the public. Usually is done once the business has been estsablished for a period of time.

EXAMPLE: "Galaxy Computer Corp is celebrating 10 years of business!"