Marketing 101: Five Basic Tips to Successfully Launching Your Organization

Launching a new company is extremely difficult, and succeeding is even a greater challenge. But by properly marketing your services from the onset, you can establish a solid foundation on which your company (and corporate image) can grow, and grow.

I never studied marketing in college, but having worked for my present employer, Marketwire, for nearly three years, I've learned a lot about what new organizations can do to bolster their image and establish their place in the market. Here are five things you can do to ensure your new company gets off on solid footing:

1. Create a functional, dynamic web site.

Having a corporate web site is crucial, if not absolutely necessary, in this day and age. Your web site is the FIRST place prospective clients and media are going to visit to learn more about your company, and if your site is NOT up and running, your company's image will suffer.

Invest as much as you can into a quality, HTML-based (not "Flash"-based) web site. Be sure to include links to what your company or organization does (in an "About" section), as well as relevant contact information for either yourself, and/or your organization's primary spokesperson.

2. Draft a company mission statement, in three sentences or less.

What is it your company does or will do? What services do you provide? What segment of the market are you looking to engage?

Identify answers to these questions, write them out in a few sentences, and include this statement in all outbound communication. A clear and concise mission statement will help identify your value to prospective clients and potential partnering organizations.

3. Network, Network, Network.

Be active in attending industry events and trade shows. Introduce yourself and your company, every chance you get. Let the masses know your organization employs real, live people (not telemarketing or IT drones), and consider every human interaction an opportunity to expand your company's reputation.

4. Reach out to all local print publications; identify influential industry publications (and reach out to them, too!).

Be proactive with the media, and introduce yourself and your company as early as possible. Even if you don't have any newsworthy items to promote at the time, compose a hand-written letter or send an e-mail (don't call, yet!) to media members you feel would be interested in covering your company when the time is right. The sooner you establish yourself with various media outlets, the quicker you build a relationship with these folks and will improve your organization's chances of being featured in print and online.

5. Distribute press releases (frequently).

Ok, clearly I'm biased here, as I work for a company that specializes in targeted news distribution. But by sending out press releases, (a.) you're injecting your company name and product offering into the mainstream; (b.) informing media and consumers that your organization is active and thriving; and (c.) improving your Search Engine Optimization (SEO), assuming you're leveraging a competent newswire sgency.

Good luck!