Many people think marketing is some type of mystery that only a few select people know the secret too. In fact if you look at the entertainment industry you will find some of the best models to follow. Let's look at George Lucas and Star Wars. How long before the movie came out did you know it was coming? How many different places did you see an ad for it, someone talking about it, or writing about it? How many different ways does he tie in to advertise his movies that are "outside" the entertainment industry?
Find your source
The first thing you need to do is find out where your people "hang out" in the real world or surf on the internet. There are many sites that people go to and many place that the visit everyday. With the internet you have many "niche" products and places for people to talk about them like blogs, or forums or different ezines that are published. Even though Star Wars has become somewhat of an icon they still market to very specific "niches" first. From there they will start to create a buzz everywhere else. Find out where the people who absolutely love the type of product you are marketing "hang out" and advertise there first.
Marketing on the internet you can do this rather quickly. There are plenty of search engines like Google, MSN, and Yahoo that will index what you are looking for quickly.
**Tip: Use quotes around you search term to get a more specific result**
For example if you were trying to sell Star Wars memorabilia in your search you would put "Star Wars memorabilia". Also the more specific you get the better. Instead of doing "Star Wars memorabilia" you would do "Star Wars action figures" and get a laser focus group of people wanting to buy your product. When they get excited about your product they like to tell the world about it.
Announce it to the world
Any time you have a new product or are just starting your business. Make sure to announce it to the world. In fact anything that is news worthy can be done this way as well. There a plenty of free press release sites out there for you to get your message out. You must come a crossed as providing a solution to someone's problem and not a sales letter to get a better response. Being creative is the key to this type of free marketing. If you just don't feel that you are creative enough for a modest fee most places will even write it for you and guarantee distribution for you. How many times did you see that Star Wars was going to be in theaters? How many different spins did they put on it? Do you think we would know when it was going to be in the theater if they didn't announce it first?
Get your product or service reviewed
With all the consumer watchdog groups out there and people giving their opinion on your product and service make sure you give them something to talk about. Contact these people and ask them to review your product or service so you not only can get them to publish what they think, but also find out what suggestions you can do to improve on it. This is a great way to get an honest opinion about your product or service. How many sneak previews of Star Wars happened all a crossed the country and the world for people to give their opinion and write a review about it?
Be the expert
In your field of expertise you want to be the expert. The only way to do that is have your voice heard. Do everything you can to offer you opinion in such a way that it creates value to the public. Give them a reason to keep coming back to what you say is true. One of the best ways to do that is to write articles, like this one, on what you are an expert in. Nobody knows how really great you are until you tell them what you have done and what your ideas are. Another way to do that is to publish your own newsletter. Make sure that the information you are giving them will help and edify them. This will build your credibility and loyalty from your subscriber and other people as well. You can also do interviews or hold informational free seminars to educate the public on your product. Did you see George Lucas on The Tonight Show, Oprah, or Good Morning America? How many times did he talk about Star Wars on these shows? There are literally thousands of T.V. shows and radio shows that are always looking for people to speak with. Find the ones that deal with your topic and contact them so that they can interview you.
The Plan
Each one of these things individually can generate a lot of publicity for you. When ever you do them one right after another in a short span of time you will find that you can create a "Buzz" about you and your business. The key is to get exposure in multiple places in a very short period of time. Make sure you plan exactly when everything is going to take place. Then all you need to do is watch your business grow from there. I can guarantee you that before Star Wars was even finished being edited George Lucas already had a plan for when it would come out and what he had to do.
This is the short version to the masterful plan executed by George Lucas to promote Star Wars. Do you think he was successful? Consider this; most films need to make $100 million to be considered a block buster. In the first weekend Star Wars was in theater it grossed over $160 million. So take it from the pros like George Lucas, create a buzz for you product and the payoff will make you a blockbuster.
Mical Johnson is the editor of http://www.MyHomebasedBusiness101.com where he provides his unique way of marketing giving you what you need to succeed in a home based business. Get it done the right way and make a profit from the start. His newsletter provides you with the tools, tricks, and tips for succeeding from the begining. To subscribe send and email to homebusiness101@aweber.com
AP - Ford Motor Co. is asking Congress for a $9 billion "stand-by line of credit" to stabilize its business, but says it doesn't expect to tap it.
AP - A stock market reassured by Ford Motor Co.'s assessment of its financial health bounced back Tuesday, regaining some of the ground lost in the previous session's huge drop. The Dow Jones industrials rose 180 points, regaining more than a quarter of Monday's nearly 680-point plunge.
AP - Walloped by the recession, automakers' U.S. sales are plummeting as hard-to-get credit, job losses and other stresses make many Americans wary of taking on big-ticket financial commitments.
AP - Thailand's prime minister was ousted Tuesday after weeks of protests closed the capital's airports, stranding 300,000 travelers. Protesters promised to lift their siege, and international flights were expected to resume Friday.
AP - A special Iraqi court sentenced Saddam Hussein's notorious cousin, "Chemical Ali" Hassan al-Majid, to death Tuesday after convicting him of crimes against humanity for his part in crushing the 1991 Shiite uprising in southern Iraq.
AP - President-elect Barack Obama pledged quick work Tuesday on an economic recovery plan to include tax cuts and increased federal spending, and told the nation's governors he wants their advice in designing a package to help their hardhit states.
AP - India picked up intelligence in recent months that Pakistan-based terrorists were plotting attacks against Mumbai targets, an official said Tuesday, as the government demanded that Islamabad hand over suspected terrorists believed living in Pakistan.
AP - Shaking hands with yourself is an amusing out-of-body experience. The illusion of having your stomach slashed with a kitchen knife, not so much.
AP - She did it again: Britney Spears was the most popular search term on Yahoo for the fourth year in a row — her seventh time topping the list.
AP - Plaxico Burress arrived at Giants Stadium on Tuesday, facing the possibility that his career with the Super Bowl champions could be over and he could land in jail after accidentally shooting himself in the thigh at a nightclub.
Reuters - Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat was banned from politics for five years and his party disbanded on Tuesday, spurring jubilant anti-government protesters to end their blockades of Bangkok's airports.
Reuters - The state of Georgia votes in a run-off election for the Senate on Tuesday that will help decide whether Democrats gain a big enough majority in the chamber to ram through legislation virtually at will.
Reuters - Ford Motor Co said on Tuesday it expects to break even or be profitable in 2011 and seeks access to up to $9 billion of government bridge loans to support its restructuring.
Reuters - U.S. automakers rushed to submit restructuring plans to secure government aid on Tuesday while European ministers and Japan took steps to pump credit into the economy.
Reuters - Oil fell below $49 a barrel on Tuesday, after reversing early losses in response to a rally in U.S. and European shares.
Reuters - India demanded Pakistan hand over 20 of its most-wanted fugitives as a sign of good faith, while both sides Tuesday tried to cool tensions over the Mumbai attacks before a visit by Washington's top diplomat.
Reuters - The chances of a terror attack on a major city somewhere in the world using weapons of mass destruction are better than even, according to a task force mandated by the U.S. Congress, The Washington Post reported in its Tuesday edition.
AFP - Thai anti-government activists on Tuesday agreed to end protests that have paralysed Bangkok's airports, after a court stripped Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat of his post and outlawed the ruling party.
AFP - Pakistan offered on Tuesday to work hand-in-hand with India to track down those responsible for the Mumbai attacks but declined to respond immediately to a demand that it hand over 20 terrorist suspects.
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