To Market,
to Market . . .
By Donna Rees, General Editor,
and the TOS Sales/Marketing Team
What comes to mind
when you hear the
words “to market, to
market”? Do you recall
the words of the
famous nursery rhyme:
“To market, to market,
to buy a fat pig; home
again, home again, jigge ty jig,” or . . . do
your thoughts jump to that idea for a home
business that you and your high schoolers
discussed last week as you sat around the
dinner table together?
If you or your children are thinking
about heeding the call to entrepreneurship
that continues to ring in your ears, or if you
already own or serve an existing
company—big or small—it’s likely that
you should give some careful thought to
the best way “to market, to market” either
your own products or your employer’s
products.
The number of small businesses in the
United States continues to increase.
According to the latest reports from the
U.S. Small Business Administration, the
estimated number of nonfarm businesses
in 2006 was 6,080,000, a 1.4% increase
over 2005.1 As the business climate begins
to grow, so does your competition. So, let’s
discuss some marketing know-how. Since
our staff deals with print ads for the magazine, let's use that venue as an example of
advertising as we discuss various
marketing principles.
Keep the Goal in Mind
The ultimate goal of a marketing strategy is
sales. With every decision you make, keep
that goal in mind. Mari Almon, Senior
Advertising Services for TOS, encourages
entrepreneurs “to get anywhere and everywhere your targeted market goes for the best-spent dollars, through effective marketing
initiatives and advertising campaigns . . . .
“Advertising your product in some key
places is vital to your success in reaching
and keeping the market. Once you’ve
selected a venue and gotten the networking
foundation under way, there are many
advertising choices in all price ranges.
Each type of advertising is designed to
give a little different result, so it’s best to
participate in many different kinds of
advertising—the more the better.”
Ask Wise Questions
What’s the best way to market your
product? Asking questions is helpful when
developing your overall marketing strategy.
Your responses to the following questions
can provide direction for your unique situation. Incidentally, don’t limit yourself to
print ads. Explore other means of promotion, such as radio, television, direct mail,
online advertising, etc. Your budget probably will establish your boundaries for you,
but be creative—dream!
Are homeschoolers part of your
targeted market? As the premier magazine
for homeschoolers, The Old Schoolhouse®
Magazine offers excellent opportunities to
reach that market. When you begin to
devise your marketing strategy, we recommend that you get answers to these questions about the publication before you
invest in advertising:
• Is this publication a leader in reaching
my targeted market?
• What is its reputation? Does it “fit”
with my company’s standards?
• Does the quality of the publication
reflect the quality of my product?
• How many readers will see my ad?
• What are the demographics of its
readership?
•In its effort to market itself, how
innovative or committed does this
publication appear to be?
