Who would want to work for someone else if they could run their own business? Not very many. All it takes to have a successful business is one good idea. Yes, that’s it; one good idea, properly executed, and you can be your own boss. Everyone can think of an idea, and we all certainly do. So, what stops us from realizing these ideas - from translating them into successful small businesses? If we examine closely, we will get to the root cause. It isthe daunting task of small business marketing.

No matter what venture you start, you will need to attract clients. They need to know that your product or service exists to meet their needs. They also need to know how what you are selling differentiates itself from competitors in the market. You also need to let them know about promotions and coupons that are available.

The phrase small business marketing encompasses all of these activities. Marketing demands knowing the essence of your product or service and identifying your customer base. Next, customer behavior and preferences need to be identified. The results combined knowing your competitors should form the basis of the strategy of your small business marketing.

After you have developed a strategy for marketing, you need to think of ways of reaching your target market. New small businesses are usually cash strapped and often can’t go for expensive media like television commercials, radio advertising, newspaper promotions or billboards. Given these financial constraints, you need to make the most of what is available and affordable. There are many innovative ideas available for both small business online marketing and small business offline marketing.

Let’s start by summarizing the promotional strategies you can use online. An online presence is important, so it’s essential to have a company website, even if you aren’t involved in electronic commerce. A website is a great way to provide information and attract customers.

It also allows you to do such things as search engine marketing, pay per click advertising, email advertising and placing classified ads in online websites such as Craigslist and USFreeads. Creating short instructional videos and placing them on sites like Youtube and Google Video is another way to get free marketing action.

Offline strategies for small business marketing can be as innovative as you can make them! Depending on your local bylaws, you can use banner advertisements posted across shopping malls, theatres, bus stops, metro stations and so on. You can also hire people to do door-to-door marketing or even get some friends to place a sign on the van or truck and drive around town. You can also sponsor events at colleges, clubs and discotheques to attract customers, if this is the age group your are targeting.

Creative thinking knows no bounds. Take the time to brainstorm some ideas for your small business marketing, using some of these ideas and others gleaned from other free internet sources. Then come up with a small business promotional program customized to your unique requirements.