A picture that summarises the value of marketing

To call on an old cliche: A picture tells a 1000 words.

I snapped this recently as I felt it perfectly summarised what it is that a marketing approach will bring to a business. Someone's witty little message - "Junk collected, antiques sold" - gets to the heart of the matter.

A marketing approach should do the following:

- Realise you're selling an emotional response rather than just a product or service (your product or service SAYS SOMETHING about the person buying it, if only to them)
- Recognising that clever copy, and the right words, can make all the difference
- Sell the benefits, not just features.
- Price matters - and that budget or discount isn't the only pricing choice.
- Have a clear message and know the value of being a specialist in something, so that people know when to buy from you
- Know what it is your target market is looking for so that you can sell it to them (which involves the marketing golden rule of first putting yourself in their shoes)

So, don't think like a business owner; think like a marketer. Buy junk, sell antiques.

PS. And for a zero budget, yet highly effective, marketing tool, you can't go past the chalk board. They stand out so well these days because everything else is so "slick" and they have an unbeatable nostalgia value, plus the benefit of allowing you to change your message daily!