How to wire money?

Sending money nowadays requires no hassle. It is as easy as you think it is because a lot of ways were designed by modern technology to make procedures fast and accessible to all walks of life. Even banking systems were fully renovated in order to cope up with the fast changing lifestyles of people. For beginners, here are ways on how to wire money:

BY BANK WIRE TRANSFER.

Banks in the new generation are far different from old times. Before it takes number of hours or days to transfer money from your point of destination. But not this time, because majority of the banks locally made affiliations with international banks in order to make processing more easily and faster. To wire money, all you need is to ask your bank to transfer it to the bank of your receiver. As the sender, you need to provide the full details of your receiver like complete name, address, bank account number and the amount you need to transfer. Some banks have automated machine that doesn't require identification card on the side of the receiver. Only those whose transaction is over the counter which will require valid identification cards from the one who will receive the money.

BY MONEY TRANSFER AGENTS

A lot of money transfer service companies are on business nowadays. Some of these are the Western Union, Money Gram and Xoom. These companies provide money transfer service in as fast as 2 minutes and with worldwide coverage. As sender, all you have to do is go to their agent location which can be found almost everywhere around the world. Fill up necessary sending form stating the receiver's details like name and address. After submitting the sending form and exact amount of money to send, an MTCN or money transfer control number will be given to you. You have to tell this to your receiver because this MTCN serves to be the security number of your money service transaction. It is very important in this kind of wire transfer that the receiver have valid identification card aside from the money transfer control number.

BY ONLINE TRANSFER

More technologically advance is the online money transfer which can be done by yourself in your own place at your own convenient time. How is this possible? By means of the online service site of the money transfer agents like www.westernunion.com and www.xoom.com . As sender, all you need are few strokes on your computer and you can easily transfer money from your bank atm card, credit card or debit card. Just like processing thru agent location, an MTCN will be provided after the transaction was successfully sent.

What is niche marketing?

In today's economic situation, only big business players can survive and stays in the market scene. Small players don't seem to have a chance to capture even a portion of the market share. But having a good marketing strategy can make it possible for small businesses to acquire a portion of the market. And that strategy is none other than niche marketing.

Niche marketing is one way to make market share feasible. By definition, a niche market usually evolves when potential demand for a product or service is not met by any supply, or when a new demand arises due to changes in society, technology, or the general environment. In layman's term, it a small portion of the market that is mostly ignored by big players because it will not give them high profit in return.

Positioning your small business in a niche market is easier and realistic than competing head to head with big dragons in the business industry. Venturing to this kind of marketing strategy may become profitable even though they are by nature small as compared to the mainstream marketplace. Because most likely, large companies are targeting large areas of the market for the purpose of maximization of potentials and usually ignore small identifiable market segments. This will eliminate the presence of economies of scale and monopoly making it easier for you to create a market entry.

Venturing niche marketing will not require high cost of marketing operations for it usually does not have existing stiff competition. Marketing activities is mostly focused on awareness campaign in order for small business to create an image and let them know of its existence and it is ready to serve their needs in terms of custom-made products and services. Commonly, niche marketers are often reliant on the loyalty business model to maintain a profitable volume of sales.

Some key points that need to be remembered when deciding to venture into niche market, is to find or develop a narrowly defined group of potential customers who are accessible, has the capability to grow fast and not yet owned by one established vendor.

Niche markets can be usually found or created on newly developed residential places, unpopular small towns or groups of people who have distinct buying behavior or taste. One good example is the production of soft drinks which is serving large markets covering different buyers' demographics. Well known big players in this business industry are Pepsi and Coke. But you will notice that there are other soft drink brands being catered in small and far provinces that seems to be not too popular for majority buying public. Manufacturers of these soft drinks are adopting the niche marketing, trying to limit their distribution on small areas and not competing directly on big business players.

How to market a cookbook?

There are many marketing strategies you can choose to introduce your product in the market. Just choose the one that will work well with your product and can create positive outcomes for your business. The way you will market your product will determine how your product will acquire a market share. Aside from its attractive packaging or appearance, a product can be attractive to buying public through its features, price and quality of content.

Cookbooks just like any other books can be best presented through its content. One best way to market a cookbook is to give consideration to the human five senses. For you can only fully convince a customer to purchase and try your cookbook if they can perceive its contents. Here are some tips on how to effectively market a cookbook:

USE VISUAL EFFECTS

Promoting your cookbook is just like promoting any new product or service. You have to make an awareness campaign but do it visually by showing pictures of how the recipe will look like in its final outcome. Some marketers uses sample video instructions just like what we see on some online sites. This will give the customer some idea how yummy the recipe is when finally cooked.

LET ITS AROMA AND TASTE DO THE TALKING

Host a demo cooking on malls or supermarket or places where women or mothers usually go. Actual aroma of the sample recipe you'll cook during the demo show will directly attract those who can smell it. Much more if you will ask viewers to do some taste test just like what other food products are doing. Remember, actual scent and taste will be the best proof of how delicious the recipes that are contained in the cookbook. Another good idea is to host or sponsor a party for you to have more chances to show many sample recipes.

LET THEM FEEL YOUR COOKBOOK

During the demo, people who can have a chance to taste the sample recipe can feel your cookbook by experiencing its taste. The feeling of being satisfied with its taste will motivate them to share it with their family or loved ones thereby influencing them to buy your cookbook.

CREATE GOOD COMMENTS

Give your best in every marketing activity you do. If possible, give viewers the chance to comment on your cookbook. Choose the best testimonies and let it be heard or read by others. These good testimonies will do the marketing for you and for sure it can add credits to the total image of your cookbook. Remember, word of the mouth is one best way to market your cookbook.

What are the uncontrollable macroenvironmental forces of a marketing system?

In business, the marketing concept implies that a coordinated marketing organization is an efficient and profitable means of satisfying consumer wants. This notion goes along the basic definition of marketing as a total system of business action.

Marketing system therefore includes the organization doing the marketing job; the product, service, idea, or person being marketed; the target market; the intermediaries helping in the exchange transaction like the retailers, wholesalers, financial institutions and middlemen; and the environmental constraints.

The company's marketing system must operate within the framework of forces that constitute the system's environment. These environmental constraints are the macro environmental forces of a marketing system that are mostly not within the control of the company and yet have considerable effects on its operation. They are as follows:

DEMOGRAPHY

This is very vital to marketers because people who have the money to spend and willingness to spend it are what constitute markets. Demography as defined refers to the statistical study of human population and its distribution characteristics. Knowing the demographic statistics of your target market will likely show you the available opportunities in the market share.

ECONOMIC CONDITIONS

Basically, people alone can't buy your offered products and services if they don't have money; therefore, making the economic condition as an important factor that affects your marketing system. The purchasing power of each buyer depends on his economic condition. Just like now that most countries are suffering from global crisis, people will tend to buy only products that are important.

SOCIAL AND CULTURAL FORCES

These social and cultural forces constitute the lifestyle, beliefs, social values, traditions, and desires of consumers. Usually, these factors are changing much faster than they used to. A good example is a housewife who has changed into a career mother. Due to her limited time devoted to their home, she now prefers to buy products that are easy and convenient to use like ready mix for cooking or ready to eat meals.

POLITICAL AND LEGAL FORCES

This factor can greatly affect marketing system because every business should undergo or seek approval from their local government before implementing a certain marketing program that involves the external environment. Other factors included in these forces are existing laws on taxes, import and export, zoning and other national and local government policies.

TECHNOLOGY

The fast changing technological growth has made a tremendous impact in the lifestyle, consumption pattern and economic well being of every individual. Examples of these are the work shifting from manual to mechanical process, unlimited access and wide scope of communication.

COMPETITION

This is considered as a strong macro environmental force. People usually want total satisfaction in the product or services they purchased in exchange of their money. Marketing system must include an effective strategy that will lift the company status in the market field giving it a competitive edge.

How does motivation and perception influence consumer behavior?

In today's challenging world of business, one must create something that will gain strong attraction from buyers. A lot of marketing strategies were developed and implemented by business man just to increase consumer patronage of their products and services. But not all marketing activities results to positive business outcomes. Others spent million of cash just to have the best marketing program but in the end failed to meet their desired position in the market scene. These failures are due primarily when marketers failed to distinguish what factors can really influence their consumer behavior.

It is a known fact that consumers differ in personality and it is quite difficult to know their individual need. But knowing what influence them to behave the way they are in purchasing a particular product can be of big help. Usually, it is the person's perception that can influence his behavior towards a particularly product. But one or more motives within a person trigger behavior toward a goal that is expected to bring satisfaction.

As marketer, we are trying to understand why consumer behaves as they do. But sometimes, we failed to ask why that person acts at all. Motivation is simply the answer to this question. Every person's behavior begins with motivation. To define it, motivation or motive serves as a drive that stimulates need that an individual seek to satisfy. But take note that it requires to have intense stimulation or aroused before it becomes a motive. Let say for example, every person needs food as one of his basic need. But it requires that person to feel hunger before he will start looking for something to eat. In this example, the feeling of hunger is the drive or motive and the act of looking for food is the behavior.

These motives are categorized as biogenic and psychogenic needs. My example falls for the biogenic needs together with need for drinks, sex, and bodily comfort. Although both type of motives requires to be given focus by marketers, psychological needs requires special treatment. This is for the reason that by nature, man is destined to buy and satisfy his biogenic needs in order to survive. But other products that are not much important biologically call for extra effort to win the customer's purchase. It is in this phase where perception is given much emphasis in marketing.

Perception is defined as what we see, hear, smell, feel and taste. Basically, anything that can be acquired through our five senses. It is commonly shaped by three sets of influences such as the physical characteristics of the stimuli, the relation of stimuli to their surroundings and the conditions within us. As we perceived the shape, color, sound, feel, smell and taste of stimuli, our behavior is then influenced by these physical perceptions. Let's go back again to my example. The delicious aroma of the food, the positive comments of the people eating in a restaurant that we hear, the yummy spoonful manner of eating of the customers, and the aching call of our stomach serves as the perception that will make us decide to buy food to eat.

Product packaging influences consumer buying behavior

A good product planning includes an effective product packaging. In marketing, packaging is defined as the general group of activities in product planning that involves designing and producing the container or wrapper for a product. It is done by most product producing companies for utilitarian reason that it helps protect the product on its route from the manufacturer to the final consumer. It also serves as a way of differentiating the product from its competitive commodities and it aims to provide attraction to customers.

The use of packaging as a marketing strategy can greatly influence the consumer buying behavior. Some of these strategies are the family packaging strategy, reuse packaging and multiple packaging. In the family packaging, usually manufacturers create a family resemblance in the packaging of its several products. Consumers who are loyal on a particular brand will find it easy to buy other product lines with similar brand because of its resemblance in the packaging.

Reuse packaging is mostly adopted because it is proven to have big influence in convincing the consumer to buy the product. Manufacturers usually make use of reusable items like glass, paper or plastic bags and canisters as package for the intention that final consumer can still make use of the package after the product has been consumed.

Multiple packaging is a packaging strategy wherein manufacturers put several products in one package and have one single price for it. Most likely, consumers will be influenced to buy the whole package because they think they can save by buying in bulk.

Although these packaging strategies are proven to have effects on the sale ability of the product, there are other attributes of packaging that can influence the consumer buying behavior. These are as follows:

PACKAGING DESIGN

Consumers give attention to glamour and appeal of the product packaging. Good packaging design can improve the marketability of a product. With its external appeal, it gives the consumer the impression that what's inside the package is better and worthy.

COLOR

Usually this is the determining factor in a customer's acceptance or rejection of a product. The careful use of colors in product packaging can increase sales, reduce eyestrain, and generally affect emotional reactions.

PRODUCT QUALITY

In some cases, a consumer always relates the product quality with its kind of package. The product image building features were defined first on its external appearance.

PRODUCT WARRANTY

Labeling is a related activity of packaging because it is usually placed on the package itself. A product package that bears the product warranty will give the customer an assurance that the money he paid is worthy for the product he bought. Consumers are more aggressive in buying product with sure warranty than product that does not promise 100% efficiency.

What marketing is all about?

Marketing as defined refers to any interpersonal or inter-organizational relationship involving an exchange or transaction intended to satisfy human needs or wants. From this definition, it is clearly understood that the broad dimensions of marketing covers the marketers, what is being marketed and to whom you intend to market or in other words, the target market.

In business, marketing plays a vital role for it involves the total system of business such as planning, pricing, promoting and distribution of products and services that aims to satisfy the demand of consumers and need of industrial users. But its functions do not end after selling the product or services. It also aims to acquire repeat transactions that can maximize company earnings.

In order to have an effective marketing program, certain areas of business should be given emphasis. All company planning and operations must be customer-oriented focusing on customer satisfaction. Company goal should aim for profitable sales volume and not just volume alone because marketing is implemented to improve business financial standing. Lastly, all marketing activities in a firm should be properly coordinated with all the key areas in the organization in order to avoid any possible conflict and for easy attainment of the targeted company objective.
Marketing is always mistakenly believed to be similar with selling. But the truth is, they are not. Instead, they are opposite in concept and practices. Some of their major differences are:

1. Emphasis on marketing is on what does the customer's wants while selling is focus on the product.

2. In marketing, the company verifies first the consumers' needs and then produce. Unlike in selling, they produce first then sell it.

3. In marketing, management is profit oriented while in selling, the management is volume oriented.

4. In marketing, planning is made for long term while in selling, it is only for short term period.

Focusing on the four P's of marketing, the whole program will be responsible in the planning, organizing, implementation, development, improvement and monitoring of the activities related to product, pricing, distribution and promotion. These activities must be interrelated and must agree on same marketing goal.

Most likely, company integrates marketing activities within their organization's system because it will help the organization create its own image in the business industry. The kind of image that will differentiate them from rival companies and will develop awareness and loyalty among customers. The use of marketing will also assist them in determining their customer's demographics, their customer's level of acceptance, their effectiveness in delivering the customer's needs and their competitiveness in the business arena.