The Four Components of Every Marketing Effort

There are four components to every marketing effort. All four of these key components must be given careful consideration—for each can cause the failure or success of your marketing.

The Product
The Message
The Prospect
The Media

Consistently successful marketing requires knowledge and mastery of these four factors that, together, can produce the desired results.

Rating the Four Marketing Components

PRODUCT – You have to do your research.
Is the product or service you're offering going to meet an existing need or demand?
Who needs or demands it?

You must know the exact demand or need you are trying to fill.

Can the product be priced profitably and competitively?
Does the product offer value?
How about quality?

Do the best you can to objectively evaluate your product—from the prospect's point of view.

MESSAGE – This includes the offer you're making (FREE booklet, bill me, FREE gift w/order, etc.), how you say it (the words), and how you present it (design elements).

Have you made an enticing offer?
Does your headline grab the attention of your hottest prospects?
Have you made your promotion look uncluttered, easy to read, professional?
Once again, you must put yourself in your prospect's shoes. How will your message be perceived by them?

PROSPECT – Who are the best candidates for your product or service?

Will apartment dwellers be interested in your lawn tractors? Not a chance.
Will the small business owner who spends only $2,000 per year on
marketing be interested in my consulting services? Probably not.
Sending the right message about the right product to the wrong prospect can be a total waste.

MEDIA – How will you get your message in front of your hottest prospects?
Direct mail?
TV? Radio?
Print ads?

This element of your marketing is just as important as the other four. Spending the money for a professionally written and designed ad will do you no good if you place it in the wrong publication.
How sure are you of the media you've selected?
Have you had success with them in the past, or are they untested for you?
Are detailed demographics available?
Do the best you can to rate your overall confidence in the media you plan to use.

In general, people want to spend money, be affluent and feel good.

People do not want to budget or be austere. They do not want to be involved with things that require work, cause risk to what they already have, or that are time consuming.

Use this knowledge to rate the four components of all your marketing efforts, then make needed adjustments as are indicated by the formula. You'll be amazed what happens to your response rate!

What makes a great ad?

The answer is almost too simple.

A good ad is one that works. Your phone rings. Buyers walk through your store door. Your salespeople have prospects to see. Your e-mail order forms are full.

On the other hand, bad advertising is one of the most disappointing experiences a small business can have. You spend your hard-earned ad dollars with high hopes, only your hopes and expectations dashed with a complete lack of response.

Here are three critical items to keep in mind to make your ads draw customers and sales:

1. Figure out what means the most to your best prospects. What do you offer that they'll value most? State that best benefit clearly and prominently in your ad. If you've got lots of space or radio time, repeat your benefit at least three times.

2. Tell your prospect to buy. Ads that don't come right out and ask for the sale usually fall short. Tell your prospect to buy, why they should buy, how they should buy, and when to buy. Take a look at pricey ads designed for big companies. They almost always tell you exactly who they think needs their product or service, which store or web site you can buy it from, how to get to that location, what kind of cards or financing they take, and when the offer will begin and end.

3.Finally, pick your advertising media carefully. Don't advertise a specialty service for a particular industry in your daily newspaper unless your town is dominated by that particular industry. Instead, chose a trade publication that specifically targets that one industry.

4.Simple? Yes it is, as long as you make the whole advertising process a real PROCESS!

Do a features, advantages and benefits work-up and determine your key benefits.

Talk to you customers and find out why THEY buy.

Use professionals where you can – they can save you hours and dollars by helping you develop a process that works and once it’s developed – you have it forever.

OUTSOURCING: Is it a four letter word?

Next Level Business Solutions kicks off a discuss and tip series on why outsourcing makes sense for small business.


During a recession, the term outsourcing congers up visions of thousands of American jobs streaming to emerging countries, however is outsourcing to US workers bad?

Let’s look at the definition of outsourcing: “Outsourcing or sub-servicing often refers to the process of contracting to a third-party.” In its simplest form everyone in the country outsources on a daily basis. Every time you go to the grocery, car mechanic, shopping mall, or doctor you are outsourcing. The same is true for your business. You hire (outsource) individuals with specific knowledge and experience to work for you, and the printing of fliers and marketing materials is outsourced to a printer. Next week we will look at why outsourcing is good for a small business in any economy.

For more great tips, check out Next Level's blog, site or FB page.. Find the pros you need and list your own business also on the OED Community.