What I would like to do today is give you a check list of 7 most common sins in marketing.

What about you? How many of following sins in marketing apply to you?

#1 No, I didn't test product market before I picked my product.

This is by far biggest mistake I see in marketing today. One I've made myself many times over. It's down right amazing how many companies decide on product they will sell before ever checking to see if potential customer would be interested. The most prominent reason for this is infatuation. The seller falls in love with his or her own product and assumes public will too. This infatuation clouds marketing professional's ability to objectively, rather than subjectively determine true potential of product market. Just because you love it, doesn't mean that they will. Test waters, ask your customers and clients what they think. Survey a portion of your current clients and general public. You owe it to yourself to see if this product will in fact meet needs and wants of your customers.

#2 You neglect to explain why you can sell it cheaper.

Whenever I see a lower price, first question that pops into my mind is....How? How can they sell it at a lower cost than their competitors. If they fail to answer that question in their marketing strategy, I immediately become suspicious of quality of product. If they had only explained how they could sell it cheaper. If one of your selling points is a lower price you better explain to me how you can do it.

#3 You didn't make it easy for me to do business with you.

How many times have you found an interesting product, but they make it so difficult and undesirable to business with them that you go elsewhere. Why would anybody want to make it hard to do business with them? I have certain subconsence requirements to do business with companies. The most important being convenience. The way I see it, I'm consumer and if I'm willing to spend my hard earned cash with them, I expect them to make it easy for me to do so. The worst is "time consumption". If you want to lose me as a customer, go ahead waste my time. Time is a valuable commodity to me and I don't want to spend it waiting. I'd rather pay extra dollar or whatever with competition if they can get me out door faster. Consumers expect their shopping experience to be an enjoyable one. If you can make it fun and entertaining to do business with you, chances are they'll be back.

One excellent way to get tons of free advertising is by sending out press releases to various newspapers and magazines. Many times, if press release is interesting enough, they will run it as filler. Publications are always interested in filler material. Usually smaller publications like community newspapers and smaller magazines are in need of interesting copy and since it is free, they jump at it.

Even better, many publications will follow-up on press releases and interview you as a subject for a more lengthy story with photos, etc. This is if they find you and/or your story interesting enough.

We are talking about printed publications here, not on-line newsletters or ezines.

The press release needs to be a "news story." It needs to be of interest to readers of any given publication and it needs to have information that people would find interesting.

You can't just send out a press release saying "Click here for free stuff," or "We have best web site in town."

You have to promote it as news. Is your business or website sponsoring a local event? Are you going to show your products at a local trade show? Are you promoting something brand new that will be of interest to a certain readership?