Marketing

Marketing is about providing products and services that satisfy your customers, while making profits for your business.

Successful marketing involves:
- Defining your target customers
- Determining your customers’ needs
- Creating products and services that meet these needs
- Identifying and monitoring your competitors
- Implementing effective pricing structures
- Selecting appropriate distribution channels
- Making customers aware and interested in your products and services
- Attracting and retaining a growing base of satisfied customers

To help create an overall marketing strategy for your business, there are a number of free online training modules available to you at Business.govt.nz.

These training modules cover:
Positioning your business – discover how to position your business effectively against your competition
How to target your marketing – learn how to define your different customer groups and identify your most attractive customers
Researching the competition – understand how to research your competitors and establish your competitive advantage
SWOT analysis – gain a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of your business and identify any opportunities and external threats.

Internet Marketing

Internet marketing is growing rapidly and getting your business online is vital to ensure you do not lose important customers. Today, we are seeing an increasing number of customers are using the internet to research businesses, compare product features and prices, and complete transactions online.

Refer to Business.govt.nz for information on how to develop and manage your business’ online presence through your website, social media and e-commerce.

The use of social media websites, such as eBlogger, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube has grown exponentially in recent years. Subsequently, a growing number of businesses around the world have been embracing these platforms and integrating social networking into their overall marketing strategy.

ASB and Air New Zealand are examples of businesses in New Zealand that have maintained a prominent social media presence to engage and interact with their customers. Interestingly, in a recent Customer Experiences Survey conducted by Colmar Brunton, ASB ranked top when customers were asked to name one business that they feel is the most dedicated to providing the customer with the best possible service and Air New Zealand was ranked second. 

From a regional perspective, a number of small businesses in Taranaki have invested time into leveraging social media platforms to facilitate a two-way dialogue with their customers. For example, Heliview Flights maintain a Facebook page, Twitter account and also regularly upload videos to their YouTube channel. This is an effective way for the business to stimulate awareness and interest in their helicopter services, and simultaneously helps to attract and maintain a growing base of satisfied customers. 

For information on how to use various social media in your business, please visit the following links:
- Blogs
- Facebook
- Twitter
- YouTube
- Flickr