People and relationships.  We come in and out of each others lives at different times and in different places.  Markets are central meeting places where we can come together for reasons of exchange.  Products and services are exchanged for a price.  The price may be as common as an exchange of currency.  Or the parties involved may agree to trade products and services in lieu of payment.

By understanding who the people that come to our marketplace we begin to learn about how to serve them.  We have the opportunity to teach them about our products, services, and how they relate to our prices.  Through building relationships we are able to show customers the way we can benefit their wants and needs.

Where once, tv and radio ads steered us into stores  for  products.  Today, we meet in markets of all kinds!  Brick and mortar stores are still the foundation of our meeting places, but the Internet has shifted the dynamics.  While people and exchange are still at  the core of business relationships,  the meeting places have changed. Information on products and services are searched by customers online via email, blogs, videos, and websites.  Social media and social networks have ushered in an era where customers have joined the conversation.  Products are developed through crowd-sourcing.  Feedback on prices, products, and promotions are instantaneous and an integral part of business relationships.  The consumer has a more powerful role and voice.

Capturing your customers today is a more complex.  Your message needs to be consistent across all platforms.  Your products and prices need to be more competitive. You have to reach people where they are accessible.

Engage your customers.  Use all the free websites  and new media platforms available to market and advertise.  There are no gatekeepers holding you back!

 Get your message out!!

And remember that viral marketing is nothing more than this generation’s  “word of mouth.”