Marketing Basics

What is marketing?

Marketing is the set of activities a business uses to promote its products or services, attract customers, and build lasting relationships. It covers understanding customer needs, creating value, communicating that value, and delivering it through the right channels.

Core marketing concepts

• Target audience: the specific group of people you want to reach.
• Value proposition: the main benefit that makes your offer desirable.
• Branding: how your business is perceived — visual identity, voice and reputation.
• Marketing mix (4Ps): Product, Price, Place, Promotion.

Types of marketing

• Digital marketing: SEO, content marketing, social media, email and paid ads.
• Traditional marketing: print, radio, TV, direct mail, outdoor advertising.
• Inbound marketing: attracting customers with helpful content and experiences.
• Outbound marketing: proactive outreach like ads and cold outreach.
• Content marketing: building trust through articles, videos and guides.

Building a simple marketing strategy

1. Define clear goals (e.g., increase leads, boost sales, raise brand awareness).
2. Identify and research your target audience.
3. Craft a value proposition and key messages.
4. Choose channels where your audience spends time.
5. Create a content and promotion plan with a simple timeline.
6. Measure results and iterate based on what works.

Key metrics to track

• Traffic: visitors to your website or landing pages.
• Conversion rate: percentage of visitors who take desired action.
• Customer acquisition cost (CAC): how much it costs to acquire a customer.
• Return on investment (ROI): revenue generated relative to marketing spend.
• Engagement: likes, shares, comments, email open rates and time on page.

Practical tips for small businesses

• Start with one or two channels and do them well rather than spreading too thin.
• Focus on creating helpful content that solves real problems for your customers.
• Use simple landing pages and clear calls-to-action (CTAs).
• Collect customer feedback and use it to improve products and messaging.
• Set a modest budget for testing paid campaigns and measure results carefully.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Ignoring audience research and assumptions about what customers want.
• Changing strategy too often before results can be measured.
• Relying only on discounts or promotions rather than building long-term value.
• Not tracking basic metrics — if you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.

Conclusion

Marketing is both art and science. It requires creativity in messaging and discipline in measurement. By understanding your customers, communicating value clearly, and testing consistently, you can build effective marketing that supports sustainable business growth.

This page offers general marketing guidance. For tailored strategies, consider consulting a marketing professional.