A wide range of activities that are part of marketing
A wide range of activities that are part of marketing ensure that all customer needs and wants are satisfied as well as that the value of the products and services that customers supply is returned. Corporate organizations should comprehend the types of consumers that are there, their wants, desired demographics, product characteristics, and preferred methods of use, as well as the product designs, pricing, and distribution strategies of competitors (Lowell, 2012). All of these issues involve one or more of the four marketing Ps: product, price, promotion, and place.
Inbound Marketing and Outbound Marketing
Inbound Marketing and Outbound Marketing
Inbound marketing has mainly been used as a plan that focuses on creating quality products and services that will attract the customers to the business, thus, following the need for product as pointed out in the 4ps marketing concept. The system provides information, on improved customer experience and builds trust by offering to potential customers the information that they value through newsletters and social media platforms (Zikmund & Babin, 2007). On the other hand, outbound marketing is also a way of marketing products and services where a company initiates conversation and sends the message to the customer through print advertisements such as newspapers, trade shows, radio commercials, flyers, and magazine ads. Most businesses prefer inbound marketing to outbound marketing as the latter is considered less profitable, challenging to examine the return on investment, and it is costly, thereby, affecting the pricing of the products and services to a point of lowering the returns (Blattberg, Kim, & Neslin, 2008). Notably, focusing on inbound marketing helps emphasize on affordable pricing which is a key pillar under the 4Ps of marketing. Otherwise, an entire application of outbound marketing might see a business incur a lot of costs that can in the end lead to charging of high prices.
Internet Marketing and Offline Marketing
Internet Marketing and Offline Marketing
Internet marketing also referred to as 'online marketing' is a means of creating product awareness through online means. The concept fulfils the need for product promotion and place as concepts of the 4Ps of marketing. It is the use of the web to increase sales through electronic commerce. It helps business to have sufficient lead from potential customers who are looking for products and services, hence, making the business to grow, and it also provides businesses with a platform for promoting their goods and services at a lower cost than other forms advertisements such as erection of billboards (Dogra & Ghuman, 2010). A business should have a total website design marketing plan that will give it more success online. Offline marketing is the opposite of making sales through the internet and includes marketing that is not done on-web platforms such as newspaper, telephone sales, face to face meeting, flyers, and television. Businesses can approach offline marketing through speaking in events to attract more clients, dropping business cards and giving products as prizes to buyers to increase the sales as well as a way of promoting the product.
Social Media Marketing
Social Media Marketing
Social Media marketing is also an important tool for creating brand awareness and is used by businesses such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to market their products and services. This kind of platform includes activities like social media advertising, posting of images and text and updates and other content that drives audience engagement (Lowell, 2012). Through this business platform, one can address a range of stakeholders, build a relationship with the consumers and the communities that are online and the users can interact directly with the business. Also, it provides buyers with the opportunity to express their needs and wants and since in social media one can choose who to follow products can reach a narrow target audience. Marketing on social media helps in creating devoted brand advocates and driving leads and sales (Blattberg, Kim, & Neslin, 2008). It enables businesses to project their brand across a variety of different social media platforms.
Business to Customers Marketing
Business to Customers Marketing
Business to customer marketing is also a type of marketing where the company aims at reaching a particular category of people who will be able to purchase their products and services. It further advocates for the showing of value for their goods and services. The concept involves a variety of customer outreach techniques such as promotion, newspaper awareness platforms, door to door outreach, and television marketing (Cant, 2006). Businesses use the blog to appeal to customers who have an interest in unique products. Firms that majorly rely on business to consumer strategy must ensure that their clients have an emotional response to their products and that they maintain good relations with their niche so that they maintain them as their own. On the other hand, inter firms business is where enterprises try to sell a lot of products to another company and they should have a comparable negotiating power. It also helps corporations to become more customer oriented (Zikmund & Babin, 2007). It is valuable to marketers who seek to build an effective marketing and sales function. Overall, the choice of particular customers to serve is in line with the concept of place under the 4Ps of marketing.
References
Blattberg, R. C., Kim, P., & Neslin, S. A. (2008). Database marketing: Theory and practice. New York: Springer.
Cant, M. C. (2006). Marketing management. Cape Town, South Africa: Juta.
Dogra, B., & Ghuman, K. (2010). Rural marketing: Concepts and practices. New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill.
Lowell, L. (2012). 42 Rules of marketing (2nd edition): A practical guide to marketing best practices that ensure. Place of publication not identified: Super Star Press.
Zikmund, W. G., & Babin, B. J. (2007). Exploring marketing research. Mason, Ohio: Thomson South-Western.
