The Most Important Marketing Principles of All Time

As you have probably experienced there is a lot of hype in the business and marketing world. New concepts, revolutionary methods and the like land in our in boxes every day. But I'm going to confirm something you probably already know - the fundamentals of marketing haven't changed for decades. Here's my summary of the marketing principles that have stood the test of time.

1. Know your customer. Know their wants and desires.

2. Offer the customer more benefits from your product or service than they would get by keeping their wallet closed, or shopping with the competition.

3. Have a unique selling proposition for your business. For example Federal Express Couriers 'Absolutely, positively overnight'.

4. Always have your marketing communicate WIIFM (What's in your product/service for me the customer).

5. Give your customers both emotional and rational reasons to buy from you.

6. Thank your customers for their business.

7. The customer is always right. In their mind they are. You better deal with this effectively because it will gain or lose business for you.

8. Loyal customers are a businesses greatest asset.

9. Customers are looking to reduce risk when they buy. The least risky option is generally the one they will take, even if this means no purchase at all.

10. The latest, hottest thing in marketing is unlikely to be all it's cracked up to be!!

So there's my 10, what do you think?

Online Marketing Services

Get a customized and guaranteed online marketing strategy for your business. Your first consultation is 100% free but I can only do a few of these each month so claim yours now!

In The News:
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Head-PlayStation-Marketing-Share-How/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B66ECD82E-54D6-43D0-BB54-57452B34E952%257Dcid=1276623602ei=fe40SZryHI_u6gOU-aT1CQusg=AFQjCNFfIZFXpUTT9wsPdwhj0INhwE2R9QHead of PlayStation bMarketing/b to Share How Sony Changed the Game b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr12 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Dille is a 20-year bmarketing/b veteran with over 15 years in the gaming industry, including playing a pivotal role in the launch of the original PlayStation b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/New-Marketing-Coaching-Consulting-Firm/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B37D0BC2E-0EA3-4B32-8A13-AEBEE00DA5FC%257Dcid=1276563292ei=fe40SZryHI_u6gOU-aT1CQusg=AFQjCNEbZbQoJ1sNwrjuAjEDzcZD-sezlgNew bMarketing/b Coaching and Consulting Firm for Physicians b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr16 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Concierge physician Deborah Harding, MD and bmarketing/b consultant Adam Dudley announced today the launch of their Concierge Practice Profits LLC that will b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Research-Markets-Help-Your-Company/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B034F7C35-24F2-4106-92D0-1B8CAF0F116C%257Dcid=1276553954ei=fe40SZryHI_u6gOU-aT1CQusg=AFQjCNHmYvYt5eZwnIbYijtkfsg6JSTzNAResearch and Markets: Help Your Company Distinguish Itself With b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr17 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1You are a successful entrepreneur with a brain for business, but you#39;re indecisive about bmarketing/b and need a guide that will help your company distinguish b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/MedTouch-Clients-Awarded-More-Awards/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B0839D7E5-0AE2-47E4-A238-7CC279A47B4F%257Dcid=1276761704ei=fe40SZryHI_u6gOU-aT1CQusg=AFQjCNGZ3NyZK7Sllg7Ib6vInOPHFJnK7gMedTouch Clients Awarded More Awards: Award-Winning Sites Continue b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr2 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1quot;We#39;re excited to receive this award,quot; said Kace Ragan, Director of bMarketing/b for St. Dominic#39;s. quot;Our objective in redesigning our site was to strategically b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/client/e3if0caf66d857a98ef75c536573359246f%3Fimw%3DYcid=1276540131ei=fe40SZryHI_u6gOU-aT1CQusg=AFQjCNEgGs1RxBfZg_k1uheg4haaS5NjTwEconomy Puts Mobile bMarketing/b on Hold/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fAdweek,nbsp;NYnbsp;-/font nobr17 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The service was provided free as part of a Black Friday mobile bmarketing/b push. Consumers had been invited to come to JCP.com to sign up for the call, b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Associated-Packaging-Technologies-Makes-Three/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B966D78B4-DE74-463B-A755-911D7476A874%257Dcid=1276681865ei=fe40SZryHI_u6gOU-aT1CQusg=AFQjCNG-R7NGFLeSZrrHmS3uYNzpDdr5EQAssociated Packaging Technologies Makes Three Key Hires/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr9 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Richard Schwarz is Director of Ramp;D, Jeffery Lucash is National Sales Manager - Food Service and Distribution, and Ron Skotleski is bMarketing/b Analyst for b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/East-Meets-West-With-Launch/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B98C6E0E4-6A2A-4A8B-8B02-1E84E8A00D25%257Dcid=1276577453ei=fe40SZryHI_u6gOU-aT1CQusg=AFQjCNHSAbIWDfoM4sbq8XUEW5eUe_pQRgEast Meets West With the Launch of The Melrose Collection by Fila/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr15 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The duo will be featured in an integrated bmarketing/b program for the debut of #39;The Melrose.#39; Through the marriage of east and west coast sensibility, b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/HMC-Executive-Named-Top-100/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B910B0BBA-B0ED-4B14-8FA1-053DF215379B%257Dcid=1276770209ei=fe40SZryHI_u6gOU-aT1CQusg=AFQjCNE_GVEdTJ1ACPDc1KgokgrZf4ic9AHMC Executive Named Top 100 in China/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr1 hour ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1It means a lot to all of us at Hospitality bMarketing/b concepts.quot; HMC has developed and implemented over 5000 paid membership programs over the past twenty b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.ohio.com/news/35355409.htmlcid=1276779711ei=fe40SZryHI_u6gOU-aT1CQusg=AFQjCNECACbnTpcJkel6n0rcis0RB5hKdQDerby hires bmarketing/b firm/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fAkron Beacon Journal,nbsp;OHnbsp;-/font nobr1 hour ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By Katie Byard The All-American Soap Box Derby, struggling with a deficit, has hired a Cleveland bmarketing/b firm to line up sponsors. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.newsadvance.com/lna/news/local/article/appomattox_county_tree_farm_delivering_christmas_trees_to_troops/11093/cid=1273877545ei=fe40SZryHI_u6gOU-aT1CQusg=AFQjCNFS94bnvRgnvDGsaDcx5UQRCsH0HAimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=hkV0si4_GSUJimgurl=media.newsadvance.com/newsadvance/img-story/images/uploads/treesfortroops1201.jpg width=80 height=52 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Lynchburg News and Advance/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.kval.com/news/local/35342384.htmlcid=1273877545ei=fe40SZryHI_u6gOU-aT1CQusg=AFQjCNFcaUIW6ltqJWx4OzGfa57RMT2xVQSustainable Christmas tree bmarketing/b effort is into second year/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fKVAL,nbsp;ORnbsp;-/font nobr6 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By Tom Adams CORVALLIS, Or. - Oregon Christmas trees are a huge business and growers are out to protect that investment. Once again this season, b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2008/11/is_your_christmas_tree_green.htmlcid=1273877545ei=fe40SZryHI_u6gOU-aT1CQusg=AFQjCNErNACYmy7USuj69HFyE3S5WCOJsAIs your Christmas tree green?/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrThe Oregonian - OregonLive.com/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.newsobserver.com/100/story/1315612.htmlcid=1273877545ei=fe40SZryHI_u6gOU-aT1CQusg=AFQjCNEC2Umaj2UszoQJkQ-bzjddkv4s_ATree growers hope for good season/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrNews Observer/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1273877545hl=ennobrall 183 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table
marketing - Google News


Wind Chimes and more...

Windchimes for great gifts!

Beware: Marketing Sinkholes Ahead!

Life provides your business with enough opportunities for failure. Don't... Read More

Stretching Your Marketing Dollars--7 Cheap and Easy Ways to Market on a Budget

Just because you have to stretch your marketing dollars doesn't... Read More

Let Your Survey Write Your Business Plan

Most entrepreneurs first write their business plan and then develop... Read More

Seven Common Marketing Problems Solved by Marketing Operations

Corporate marketing groups - especially bandwidth-challenged small-to-mid-sized departments - can... Read More

Itchin For Some Nichin

The whole idea of Niche Marketing is exciting! The possibilities... Read More

How to Profit from Your Expertise (Part 1 of 2)

Are you looking for a natural way to market your... Read More

Recipe for Success

Special event and a special recipe- hand it out on... Read More

Practical Advice to Generate Successful Campaigns Using Merged Lists

You could end up with poor results when designing a... Read More

A Complaint? It?s a Compliment! - 7 Tips for Dealing with Complaints at Trade Shows

A Complaint? It's a Compliment!What made you mad last week?In... Read More

For Ongoing Success, Make Marketing a Habit

Make Marketing a Must, Not a MaybeWhen business is booming,... Read More

Client or Customer? There Really Is A Difference

Some people use the words "client" and "customer" interchangeably or... Read More

Why Direct Mail Advertising Works And How To Lower Your Costs

I met a lady who said she received a notice... Read More

Advertising Your Private Practice: 6 Tips for Maximizing Your Results-Part 2

As discussed in part 1 of this article, "Your Private... Read More

T.E.A.M Profit

As you network and meet other business owners, keep this... Read More

Using a Marketing Calendar Template

Owning a small business isn't easy, especially if you are... Read More

Promotional Lanyards to Market Your Products and Services

It has become fairly common place to see Id badges... Read More

Name the Top Cable Network

When Cable began as Community Antenna Television in 1948, all... Read More

Embracing The Future - Marketing Yourself, Your Business And Your

IntroductionMany businesses and organisations have a perception that marketing means... Read More

How To Use Humor Successfully In Your Business Communications

For generations people have been saying that laughter is good... Read More

Direct Mail Response Rate Boosters (12 tips and ideas)

1. Mail to a different list Your list is the... Read More

Grab Your Audience by Focusing on Benefits

Have you ever chosen to pay attention to someone just... Read More

Work Backward And Make More Sales!

It goes against the grain, especially for those of us... Read More

Packaging Made Frozen TV Dinners Possible

I was saddened to hear of the passing of one... Read More

Fundraising Letters Are Easier To Write With AIDA

Learn a lesson from professional direct mail copywriters. They follow... Read More

If My Work is Good Enough

"If My Work is Good Enough, I Shouldn't Have to... Read More