Charles’ Marketing Weblog

Welcome to my blog, the marketing blog for www.insidethetrades.com! I sincerely hope no matter what your industry, you find information I post on advertising and marketing relevant to your trade.

As the title of this first blog states: the Best marketers make the most money….period! This doesn’t mean you have to be a cutthroat in business, in fact, I believe it means the opposite. It means be creative, genuine, sincere and Professional in ALL of your messages that you communicate with the public. Yes, that includes your business card.

Since this is the first blog it only makes sense to start with the basics for so many businessses, contractors, etc. really louse things up by setting a horrific first impression the moment they hand an potential client their card.

Does your business card have a cute cartoon or “slick” phrase on it? If you’re not a cartoonist then throw the cartoons in the garbage. If you don’t have a physical address that you work out of, often, your potential client has only your dress, demeaner and your business card to determine if you are reputable (read trustworthy) and professional. If your cards aren’t marketing you as a professional in your field your making every sale you make harder than it has to be. And while we’re discussing cards, don’t print them on your home printer! At a minimum go to a print shop or online and order at least black and white cards on heavy card stock, and if you can’t afford that, then I’m sorry to say you honestly can’t afford to be in business….yet.

The best marketers make the most money for they fundamentally understand that they are in The Marketing Business. They just happen to market whatever product or service it is that they perform. No good product or service is any good if it can’t be sold…and marketing is the fuel for the business engine (read as revenues).

To be good at marketing and advertising takes just as much determination, attention and study as your “primary” business does, in essence you are in Three Businesses…I’ll tell you about those in my next post. To be the best, first you must understand marketing. Once you have a grasp then you work on becoming proficient at it and finally you master it.

You have two routes to travel in mastering your marketing knowhow. First spend years of time and thousands upon thousands of dollars in misfire ads and ad campaigns or you can take the quick route. The quick route is doing what you are doing, becoming a student of marketing and advertising and learning that the two are completely different animals, one earns you business and the other can bankrupt you if you’re not careful. By being a student, you can for a mere pittance of what you’d throw away in bad ads, find and devour numerous marketing books and How To Marketing Manuals available on the internet or bookstores.

 www.insidethetrades.com is always a valuable resource for marketing ideas and strategies…but as the founder of inside The Trades, I admit, I’m a bit biased.