Marketing means the activities of a business to ensure continues flow of goods and services from the point of production to the point of consumption. Marketing is a broad term, it ranges from physical distribution, merchandizing and promotion. However, For the purpose of this post we emphasised on promotion.Listed below are the eight (8) ways you can market/sell your product
1. Personal selling
2. Advertising
3. Sales promotion
4. Word-of-mouth
5. Branding
6. Packaging
7. public relation
8. Publicity
Let's look at how you can achieve your marketing/selling objectives with the following mentioned above.
1. Personal selling
Personal selling refers to a direct contact between a seller and buyers for an exchange to take place.
Personal selling could occur on the internet, face to face, presentations, messages and phone calls.
For you to market/sell your product, try to locate your prospective customers either in thier offices, schools, religion centres, market places, Houses, public gatherings etc. Prepare yourself to present your product accurately. Explain to them how your product can help solve thier problems or satisfy thier needs and what makes your product better than others.
Personal selling will help you to understand your customer and how you can serve them better.
2. Advertising
Advertising means informing the public about an existence of a product, educating them on how to use the product, persuading them to buy the product, telling them how the product is better than others and/or reminding them about a product through paid media.
For you to market and increase your sales, locate an advertising agency that is willing to offer you affordable services. They are expert in this field that can design effective advertising campaigns for you. Also given the job to them will help save you from unnecessary spending, stress, errors and wasting of time.
However, if you decide to do the job by yourself, these are the advertising media you can place your product.
*Television; local television are cheaper than national television, it will also help you to reach your prospective customers within your limit.
*News papers; news papers are also relatively cheap depending on the advertising space you intend to cover.
*Magazines; magazines are the best media to advertise products that are perculiar to your industry e.g advertising sport wears on sport magazines.
*Radio; radio is very cheap, it covers wide audience and can even Broadcast in different languages.
*Posters/ banners/calenders/handbills; print quality designs and distribute to your prospective customers.
*Internet ( social media, websites etc); internet is one of the best, simple and cost effective way to market your product. You can locate IT experts to setup social media pages, website and run advertising campaigns for you, you can also do the ones you know how to do by yourself. Locate bloggers to advertise your product for you as well
* Other ways of advertising your product include; T-shirt, caps, nylon leathers, journals, cinemas, sign post, Billboards, church bulletins etc.
3. SALES PROMOTION
Sales promotion means using some techniques to stimulate sales. E.g
*Organizing a context; (Nigerian idol, Maltina dance, Gulder ultimate search) are examples of context organized by big firms. You can organize for your product as well.
*Sample; given free products to prospective customers to test.
*Discount sales; Given discount sales can help increase your sales
*Given credit sales; is a way of marketing your product too
*Sponsorship; sponsoring live events and programs can help increase your sales too
*Trade shows; showcasing your product In public places and trading programs will also help market your product.
*Premium; buy one get one free, given bonus/jara to your customers is a good way of marketing your product too.
4. WORD-OF-MOUTH
When you give maximum satisfaction to your customers, they will help spread the good news. They will tell thier friends, relations, colleagues, class/course mates, members etc.
5. BRANDING
It means specific attributes given to a product that distinguishes it from others e.g name, design, label, trademark, logo, symbols etc.
It will help customers to easily locate and remember your product.
6. PACKAGING
It means to develop containers/sachets for a product.
Design simple, versatile, safe and attractive packages for your product. They contribute to a product quality and also help to attract prospective buyers.
7. PUBLIC RELATIONS
It means a deliberate effort established by a business to create and maintain good relationship, good image and reputation with his/her business environment such as customers, employees, government agencies, competitors, community and suppliers etc. All these things will help to market and increase your product sales
8. PUBLICITY
It means any information about a product or business distributed to the general public through media and it not paid for.
This one must not be too effective for your small business at this stage but you can try it too. Media might not be interested in publishing what they are not gaining much or not gaining at all from.
Study the write up closely, practice what you studied and it will help your business to grow.
I hope this is helpful!
