What is SOHO marketing and how does it differ from other types of marketing?

SOHO marketing differs in that it includes a broad range of businesses from a variety of different industries - and can encompass a wide range of business structures. Typically a small office/home office structure can range from a sole individual, to a company structured with 20 or fewer employees.

But most small office/home office workers have one thing in common: they are all trying to succeed by working from an offsite location, usually a home office. And creating a successful marketing strategy while working alone can sometimes be a bit of a challenge.

Companies developing strong SOHO marketing strategies should concentrate on three areas of marketing.

First, build up a strong brand that defines your target customer, and provides a powerful message to connect your business to their desires.

Well known brands have a major advantage over brands created by small businesses. Outside of the obvious 'money' advantage, well known brands are developed with a strong focus, and hold true to that focus for long periods of time.

A small businesses can find success by creating a strong message stating their unique selling position, and communicating that in a manner that resonates with prospects and customers. The key is to develop your message completely, and communicate that message to your client base again and again. Most small businesses change strategies, and develop new messages long before their client base has learned and connected with the first message. Longevity is equal to success when it comes to your messaging.

Second, create your SOHO marketing strategy to encompass many different marketing tools. People make purchases in different ways. They rely on different marketing tools to help them make their decisions. No one marketing tool is better or more successful - it all depends on timing and the emotions of your buyer.

Which is why repetition is so important. If your customer comes in contact with your company in several different ways over a short period of time, they will not only recognize your name, but they will begin to think of your company as a reliable source.

If you are in the market to have your house painted, you can open the phone book and select a name, or you can choose a company that you have received a brochure from, found references online, checked out their website, and viewed a sign in your neighborhood.

Third, follow your SOHO marketing strategy again and again. Having a strategy in place means you have a plan that has specific goals to accomplish. While the tasks may change, the goals should always remain in sight.

If a particular task doesn't work, it isn't a reflection on your strategy. It simply means you must create a new task to make your goals. While there are many ways to get to your ultimate result, skill comes from trying new things and adjusting your plans based on your results.

If one of your goals is to gain three new clients a month, monitoring your results throughout the month is necessary. If your not connecting with people in one form of advertising, another method should be added.

Likewise, once you achieve three new clients, starting the process over again the next month is mandatory. Continue with methods that are working, and delete techniques that aren't.

Because SOHO workers have the ability to react quickly to changes, keeping a marketing plan fresh and up to date is an easy process. And its one that can lead to a successful business.