Everyone knows that in order to successfully promote yourself and grow your business, you need marketing. For many, especially new agents just getting started, the concept of marketing can be a daunting one. Where do I start? How much money do I need? What do I really need? 

What is marketing exactly? It’s simply defined as ‘the action or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising.’ When most people think of marketing, the think of the 4Ps: product, promotion, price and place.

Marketing plans don’t have to be that complicated as long as they support your goals and objectives and are executable using your tools and resources. In fact, there are a ton of great resources online that you can use to help you build or refine your marketing plan including those from Inc., SBA.gov, Forbes, and MarketingProfs.

If you’re new to marketing, another thing you will want to consider is the tools you will need to help you execute (or even develop) your plan. From websites to e-marketing to social media, there are a ton of resources online that you should be aware of – any using – to help you grow your business.

<b>Website creation and hosting:</b><ul>
<li>Wordpress</li>
<li>Google Sites</li>
<li>Wix</li>
<li>Weebly</li>
</ul>
 
<b>Email marketing:</b><ul>
<li>MailChimp</li>
<li>Constant Contact</li>
<li>iContact</li>
<li>Vertical Response</li>
<li>Exact Target</li>
</ul>
 
<b>Social media:</b><ul>
<li>Facebook</li>
<li>Twitter</li>
<li>LinkedIn</li>
<li>Pinterest</li>
<li>Hootsuite</li>
<li>Socialcast</li>
</ul>

Don’t let marketing overwhelm you. There are so many great tools out there, and a good amount of them are free, leaving no reasons for not doing anything. Have goals, have a plan and have fun!