Congratulations!  You've come to the intelligent conclusion that self promotion is important for the on going viability of your business.

You're now ready to go.  But, where do you go?  Where do you begin?  How do you make the most effective use of your marketing dollars to get the maximum exposure and return on your investment?

It's simple!  The answer is...EFFECTIVE PLANNING!  Remember, it's hard to hit the target if you don't know where you're aiming.

First and foremost, WHAT is your target market?  Are you going to focus on first time home buyers, move up buyers, retirees?  Each of these are reached in a different way.

Choose a target market that is within your comfort zone.  First time home buyers are usually much easier to work with than the more experienced move up buyers and retirees.  Do you have the comfort level and experience to handle the plethora of hard hitting questions that move up buyers and retirees usually throw at you?

Once you decide on the target market that is within your comfort zone, do your research.  Learn everything about your target market that you can find.  What is most important to them?  Have an intimate, working knowledge of the information important to them.  This will establish you in their mind as the expert to call for all of their real estate needs.

Begin collecting material to use as part of your self promotion tools.  Magazine and newspaper articles, on-line articles, statistics, school and shopping information, the list is endless.  Keep files of this information to use in your self promotion marketing.

Once you have collected this information, it's time to decide how you will disseminate the info to your target market.  General newspaper and magazine ads will receive responses, but this is a shotgun approach to the masses.

Direct mail and/or targeted ads are your best bet to reach your target market.  Looking for first time home buyers?  Try a direct mail piece to the rental communities in your area?  Ads in a specific industry magazine are another great way to reach a specific target market.

Most importantly, once you decide on a medium to deliver your message, you must track your responses to glean the most effective ads and locations.  Keep track of where EVERY call originates so you can then concentrate your efforts to these ends.

Experimentation and adaptation is the rule.  If you are receiving a decent response from a certain medium, you may need to "tweak" your message a little to improve the results.  If you are receiving no response, you may need to completely over haul your message or try other areas to achieve results.

Once you find a message that works, use it hard.  Repetition will buy the brain cells of your target market and will, in time, return large rewards to you.  It will ensure the viability of your business.

Just thought you should know.

Have a profitable day!

Steven