Maslow was a psychologist that came up with a theory dealing with hierarchy of human needs. No, marketing is not essential to human survival, and chances are your product or service is not either. However, whatever you are offering, it will fall into one of categories Maslow has listed in his hierarchy of needs. And if you know which need you should appeal to, it will be that much easier to market to your prospects.

The first level on Maslow's hierarchy deals with physiological needs. These are most basic necessities that humans require to survive. Food, water, shelter, and oxygen all fall into this category, along with sleep, activity and other inevitable human functions.

If your product or service has to do with a basic need, your main problem is getting customer to buy from you instead of your competitors. Everybody needs food, so why would potential customers be more inclined to buy lunch at your restaurant instead of taco shack across street? Perhaps you have lower prices, better quality, faster service, or a more comfortable environment than they do. It is important to stress that what YOU offer holds certain advantages over customers' other choices.

The problem is, no matter how great your product or how gorgeous your website, you need traffic. If people can't find you, they can't buy from you either. Consistent, dedicated marketing will help you to draw interested prospects to your business. Here are a few strategies...

1. Search engines. Optimize your pages and submit your site to major SEs. If you're able to rank within top 10 or 20 sites for a particular key phrase, you'll be treated to a steady stream of targeted traffic. A good place to learn more about SE optimization is http://www.searchenginewatch.com/ .

2. Targeted link exchanges. Find other good sites within your market and offer to trade links. You and your 'link partner' will both benefit from each other's traffic ... plus some of major SEs are now using 'link popularity' to help determine your ranking. 'Zeus' is a neat little robot that can help you with your linking efforts. Find it at http://www.cyber-robotics.com/index.htm .

3. Build your own opt-in newsletter. Your own newsletter gives you opportunity to build your credibility and keep in touch with your customers. You'll be able to market your own products or services to them as well - and even earn some extra income from advertising sales. Find a quick tutorial on starting your own newsletter at http://www.buildyourhomebiz.com/ezine/ .

4. Ezine advertising. Ezines are a very affordable way to reach thousands of targeted prospects for just a few dollars. A great place to pick up deals on advertising is http://www.ezineadauction.com/ .

5. Network through message boards. Join a forum where potential customers or partners may congregate. Become a contributing and respected member by offering help and support. Leave your link at bottom of your posts; people who have come to know you will click on your link for more information about you and your business. Careful, though - it's easy to spend too much time 'chatting'! Search for appropriate forums at ForumOne, http://www.forumone.com/index/index.php .

6. Referral marketing. Encourage your customers to refer others to you. You may want to give them an incentive to do so - for example, provide them with a discount on their next order, or offer a quality free gift.