Without marketing, the best business idea is doomed to fail. Find out here how to attract customers.

A good business idea is the basis of every start-up. But the idea alone is not enough. Even before you start your business, you should think about how you will sell your product or service. Ask yourself the following questions when conceiving your business idea: Why should potential customers buy your product or service? What makes your offer stand out from possible competitors? How do you define your target group and how do you publicise your business? In order to be successful on the market, every business - whether it is newly founded or has been on the market for years - needs a sophisticated concept for marketing. Here you will learn how to strategically plan such a marketing concept and how to implement it after the start-up.

Many start-ups and small entrepreneurs classify marketing as a modern term for advertising. However, this is only partially correct. Although marketing also deals with the marketing of products and services, marketing actually pursues a holistic concept of market-oriented business management. From a marketing perspective, every management decision serves to meet the needs of customers and the market.

All measures and instruments that entrepreneurs use to implement marketing goals are called the marketing mix. The most important of these are the four "P's".

Product policy is part of marketing even before the start-up. Usually you know your business idea - but do you know exactly which customer needs you want to fulfil? This is where you determine which USPs (Unique Selling Points) distinguish your offer and how you position your company in the market.

Pricing is an important factor in marketing that you should define before you start your business. Pricing takes into account all the points that are important for the definition. These include your profitability limit, the usual market prices of your competitors and the purchasing power of your target group. You should also consider that the price makes a subliminal statement about your offer. If you want to stand out from the competition with particularly high-quality solutions, the prices must not be too low. This is because potential customers associate cheap prices with inferior quality.

The distribution policy includes everything that is relevant to the sale of your product or service. This part of marketing is also important even before you start your business. Where do you want to sell your offer? Do you only sell on the internet, do you open a shop or do you only visit markets and fairs? Do you need intermediaries? Also check whether the distribution channels you have chosen fit your offer and the target group you want to reach.

Communication policy is really about promotion, i.e. classical marketing as understood by the general public. Here you decide which channels you will use to contact your potential customers and how you will present your company and your offer. Do you place an emphasis on a very serious presentation or do you prefer humorous communication? Do you want to communicate at eye level or present the company as an expert? Does your communication style fit your target group and your offer? You should determine the basic features of your marketing communication policy even before you set up your business.

The marketing mix is an integral part of the business plan you develop before you start your business. You can find out how to draw up a business plan in our detailed guide.

In the following, the focus is on communication policy as the core of marketing.