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Affiliate Marketing Program

Affiliate Marketing Program

An affiliate marketing program is a marketing strategy in which one business compensates a third party for bringing clients to the business by using the third party’s own marketing efforts.  Affiliate marketing programs typically involves the use of internet rewards websites and contests, although there are non-website affiliate marketing programs available.  Some of the benefits of affiliate marketing programs are that they can easily be monitored, payment can be conducted on a “cost-per-click” method, and the business is provided online marketing they could not accomplish on their own.    

How to use an Affiliate Marketing Program for your business


1. Identify your business strengths and your client base
Before you attempt to use an affiliate marketing program for your business, you must ensure that your business is ready to handle internet traffic or exposure to clients on the internet.  You will need a prominent business website in place, which affiliates can direct traffic for.  You must also have a client base that is dependent on the internet and will be attracted to online marketing strategies.  If all of these requirements apply to your business or you plan on having them apply, then you can seek an affiliate marketing program that works for you.  

2. Consider your budget
Affiliate marketing programs can be an expensive type of marketing, however it can also provide you with great exposure to clients and dramatically increase traffic to your business website.  It is important that you have the marketing budget to afford the costs of affiliate marketing programs, especially considering that the costs may not be established until after your program has been in effect.  Many affiliate marketers charge businesses based on each unique page visit.  While these can be estimated, they can vary widely depending on the success of the program initiated.  


3. Choosing the affiliate marketing program that is right for you
After determining what clients you can reach, whether you have the proper internet presence, and can estimate your budget for the program, you need to contract with an affiliate marketer that is qualified and experienced.  You can choose between an unattached affiliate marketer, related affiliate marketer, or an involved affiliate marketer.
Unattached Affiliate Marketer – This type of affiliate has no connection to the business that is paying for their services.  The marketer has no authority or presence in the industry it is marketing, but instead uses programs such as Google Ad words and Facebook ads to attract clicks.
Related Affiliate Marketer – These marketers have some sort of related content to the industry that you are trying to sell.  These types of websites will attract viewers for a purpose that is related to your business.  These can be much more useful than other forms, as the viewer is already geared towards your business.  
Involved Affiliate Marketer – Is a personal recommendation made by a content writer that has personal experience with your product.  These websites typically review and report on new products and services and give their opinion.  This can be a great way to market your product, as you will have a legitimate unbiased party recommending your product.  Of course, you always run the risk that your product or services will not be reviewed favorably, which can lead to negative marketing.  

4. Monitoring your Affiliate Marketing Program
Finally, once the program is up and running, you must actively monitor its effects.  Check to see if your website is experiencing increased traffic due to the program.  Modify your website or the affiliate program if you believe that you will benefit.  You will also need to monitor how much traffic your affiliate marketer is generating, as it will likely affect your total costs of the program.  

Legal Issues
Affiliate marketing programs that are run with the intention of informing and helping consumers understand products and services are acceptable, however many businesses may run into an issue if these forms of advertisements are spam or have hidden charges, you will face legal issues.  Always double check any affiliate marketer before using their services, as many use illegal methods and promise results that just aren’t possible.  Consult a legal professional who specializes in internet marketing to protect your marketing plan while obtaining valuable information.  

Pay Per Click Advertising Benefits

Pay Per Click Advertising Benefits

Pay per click advertising is a term used for internet advertising where a business pays a third party website to direct traffic to their website for a specific amount every time a unique visitor is sent to the business’ website.  The third party website will usually show an advertisement or other mention of the business, which takes the viewer from a content page to the advertising page.  This method has become very popular on all sorts of websites and is one of the main forms of income generation for these sites.  

How can Pay Per Click Advertising help your business


1. Evaluate how your business and its website
Before you can use the services of a pay per click advertising website, you must have an established business website that viewers can be directed to.  Your website must be readily accessible and should have content that keeps visitors engaged and informed about your company.  Not every business can benefit from this form of advertising.  Pay per click is usually used by businesses that are seeking widespread reach and less so by local businesses.  


2. Consider your budget
Pay per click advertising varies greatly depending on who the third party website is, how many unique visitors they generate, and how reliable they are.  Nationally read websites with creative content will charge very high pay per click advertising fees, so be aware of what expenses to expect before agreeing to a pay per click service.  There are two ways for purchasing per per click advertising, flat-rate and bid-based. 
A. Flat-Rate require that the business pay the advertising company a specific fee for each unique click that is generated from placing the ad on their website.  The costs will be dependent on the location of the ad on the web page, its visibility, and the size. 
B. Bid-Based pay per click advertising is typically used on search engines or content sites with search features.  The advertising will accept bids for keywords, essentially favoring those businesses that pay more when a consumer searches for a specific topic.  
The financial aspect of the advertising that is generated can be greatly beneficial for your company.   Pay per click has been increasing dramatically each year, but a click can range from 1 cent per click up to $4 per click, depending on the level the keyword costs or how prominent of a website your are using.  

3. Put your Pay Per Click Advertising into effect
After conducting research about where and when your business will benefit from pay per click advertising, you need to get your links set up and your website prepared for the increased traffic.  You will need to prepare the links that will be clicked on.  Your links may be text based or picture based, which in either case must be highly visible and attract the reader.  
Websites utilize pay per click advertising by placing them in locations where viewers are most likely to see them.  Search engines, such as Google or Bing, will place pay per click advertisements in specific “advertising boxes” above search results or on the side bar.  Content websites try to have pay per click advertisements below content articles titles and in between written text blocks.  

4. Evaluate whether Pay Per Click Advertising is working
Pay per click advertising is very easily evaluated, as you will be able to see whether you have increased website traffic and from what source this increased traffic is from.  You will also be billed on each unique visitor, so just from your billing statements you can determine whether it is working.  Also important will be determining whether visitors stay engaged on your site and how long they spend on your website.  All of this must be calculated in order to determine if you need to modify or eliminate the pay per click advertising that you are engaging in.  

Pay Per Click Search Engine Advertising
Search engines do not typically use a pay per click advertising method, but instead use a bidding system for specific keywords.  Keywords are purchased and the order of appearance will determine when a website will come up on a search engine.  Some search engines to have some forms of pay per click advertising, but they will either put your business’ link in a separate “advertiser box” or  outside of the main search results.  

Legal Issues
Pay per click advertising is usually a very safe way of advertising over the internet, as long as you avoid any fraudulent advertising or misleading information.  You must ensure that any services you use in implementing your pay per click advertising is not attaching spy ware to consumer’s computers and not keeping illegal data.  Consult a legal professional with experience in advertising and internet regulation if you require further consultation.  

How Can Internet Advertising Help Your Business?

How Can Internet Advertising Help Your Business?

Internet advertising is one of the newest ways of getting exposure and brand recognition for your business, however many small and mid-size businesses do not take full advantage of all of the marketing opportunities it has.  Internet advertising opens the door to endless sources of clients and other businesses, as almost everyone is currently connected in one way or the other.  Below are some tips for using internet advertising to your advantage. 


How to use Internet Advertising for your business


1. Evaluate how your business can benefit from Internet Advertising
Internet advertising is a broad term for numerous types of marketing strategies using the internet.  The following are some examples of internet advertising that your business should consider:
A. Blogs – Blogs are a great method for garnering attention for your business.  A blog is a journal that your business can keep with different entries that relate to your consumer needs.  While blogs are cheap and relatively easy ways of reaching consumers, you will need to battle with many other blogs that exist.  In order to set yourself a part, you need interesting information that engages the reader and has information found nowhere else. 
B. Social Networking – In recent years, social networking has exploded across the internet, as people spend much of their time conversing with friends, family, while posting pictures and commenting.  Facebook has become the go to social networking site, and your business should have a presence by either a facebook profile or fan page.  Social networking is again a cheap and relatively easy method of internet advertising, however you will be competing with many other pages and profiles, so you will need interesting and engaging content.   
C. E-Mail Marketing – One method that is often used is the sending of mass emails, either describing your company or providing informational texts that involve your business.  E-mail marketing must be approached with caution, as you run the risk of being considered spam, which will reflect negatively on your image with consumers.  Instead, you must send e-mails only with important updates and interesting new content.  


2. Consider your budget
Budgeting is a crucial elements when coming up with a marketing plan using internet marketing.  The internet provides advertising that range from the very cheap to the very expensive.  While advertising by using emails and other basic forms of communication can be very cheap, they often are not as effective as the much more expensive methods.  Professional companies can build your website and provide services to help your business’ website generate traffic.   
Revenue can be generated from internet advertising, but it may not be noticeable at first and take some time.  Blogs, facebook pages, and e-mails all take time to build followers and readership. You must slowly develop your internet presence before having any noticeable affects on your business.  However, you will more clients will come to you seeking your service who have been exposed to your internet marketing.  

3. Put your Internet Advertising plan into effect

Internet advertising works best when you have multiple types of advertising working together in conjunction with one another.  Articles sent through email should be linked to your website, your website should be linked on other websites, and all of these should be search-able on search engines such as Google and Bing.  A facebook profile can link to blogs and written content generated by you and your business.  All of these advertising methods need to be put in place to work together in order to maximize the effectiveness of internet marketing.  

4. Evaluate how your Internet Advertising plan is working
Once you have your internet advertising plan up and running, you must constantly monitor how well they are working.  The internet can be a fickle medium to garner attention, so you must constantly check how many clients are being reached, how engaged they are in your advertising materials, and whether you should change your strategy.  Consulting outside firms is often the best method for determine how helpful your internet advertising is for your business.  

Internet Advertising compared to regular advertising
Regular advertising and internet advertising can always be used together to full expose your company to as many clients as possible, however you need to understand the benefits and limitations of each.  Internet advertising will usually be significantly cheaper and more diverse, in that you can reach many people with just simple blogging posts or facebook updates.  However, with this simplicity comes the fact that you will be up against thousands of other advertisements and content all vying for your consumers attention.
Regular advertising can be more expensive, more time consuming, and can challenge you to be creative.  However, regular advertising, when done properly, can expose your company to more consumers, especially older ones who do not use the internet as much as the younger generation.  Regular advertising can include sending mailers, taking ads out in publications, or other media outlets.  


Legal Issues with Internet Marketing
While most internet marketing is simple and is not affected by regulation, you must be aware of illegitimate forms.  Spamming and spy ware are used by some groups in order to send mass emails and reach many more consumers than they should be reaching.  Such methods are often illegal and you business can face sanctions if caught up with such internet marketing plans.  If you have any questions or concerns, contact a legal professional who has experience with advertising laws and internet regulation.  

List of Celebrity Branded Fragrances

List of Celebrity Branded Fragrances

 

List of Celebrity Brand Fragrances: Actresses

The most successful fragrances branded by a celebrity are those of Elizabeth Taylor as she collaborated with Elizabeth Arden.  The duo released 12 of the most successful celebrity fragrances between 1988 and 2010, and some of these fragrances include Passion, White Diamonds, Black Pearls, Gardenia, and Violet Eyes. 

 

Jennifer Lopez has released over 15 fragrances and some of the most successful include Glow, Still, Deseo, and Love and Glamour. 

 

Sarah Jessica Parker released 8 fragrances between 2005 and 2009 that included Lovely, Covet, SJP NYC, Endless, and Twilight.

 

Halle Berry released three popular fragrances including Halle, Halle Pure Orchid, and Reveal.  The branded fragrances have been released by Jennifer Aniston, Kate Walsh, Eva Longoria, Reese Witherspoon, Mary-Kate Olsen, Ashley Olsen, and Isabella Rossellini. 

 

List of Celebrity Brand Fragrances: Male Actors, Models, and Athletes

Male musicians with the most successful branded fragrances include Diddy, Usher, Akon, and Nelly. 

 

Diddy’s successful fragrances include Sean John I Am King, Sean John Unforgivable, and Sean John Unforgiveable for Women.  Usher’s successful fragrances include UR for Men, UR for Women, and Usher VIP.  Popular fragrances by Akon include Konvict Homme and Konvict Femme.  The most popular fragrance by Nelly is Apple Bottoms, and other musicians like 50 Cent and Tim McGraw have popular fragrances as well. 

 

Antonio Banderas has released 15 branded fragrances, and some of the more popular fragrances include Seduction in Black, Spirit VIP for Men, Spirit VIP for Women, and The Secret.  Male celebrities like David Beckham and Patrick Dempsey have released branded fragrances as well. 

 

List of Celebrity Brand Fragrances: Female Musicians

Celine Dion has released 14 fragrances, and some of the popular fragrances include Celine Dion, Belong, Enchanting, Sensational Moments, and Simply Chic. 

 

Britney Spears has released 9 different fragrances, and she has collaborated with Elizabeth Arden for most the fragrances.  Her popular fragrances include Curious by Britney Spears, Fantasy, Midnight Fantasy, Circus Fantasy, and Radiance. 

 

Mariah Carey has also released 9 fragrances, and she has also collaborated with Elizabeth Arden.  Some of her popular fragrances are M, Luscious Pink, Forever, and Lollipop Bling Honey. 

 

The following female musicians have also released popular fragrances: Avril Lavigne, Beyonce, Christina Aguilera, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Shakira, Fergie, Gwen Stefani, Jordin Sparks, Faith Hill, Shania Twain, Jessica Simpson, Mary J. Blige, Hilary Duff, and Queen Latifah. 

 

List of Celebrity Brand Fragrances: Other Popular Celebrities

The following celebrities are known for popular branded fragrances as well:

 

Andy Warhol: Andy Warhol and Marilyn Rose

Kat Von D: Saint, Sinner, and Adora

Cindy Crawford: Cindy Crawford, Summer Day, and Joyful

Maria Sharapova: Maria Sharapova

Heidi Klum: Shine

Kim Kardashian: Kim Kardashian and Gold

Kate Moss: Kate, Vintage, and Wild Meadow

Paris Hilton: Heiress, Siren, and Tease

Daisy Fuentes: So Luxurious, Dianoche Love, and Mysterio

Naomi Campbell: Eternal Beauty, Cat Deluxe, and Naomi

Michael Jordan: Michael Jordon, 23, and Legend

Trade Secret

Trade Secret

 


A trade secret is primarily defined by the Uniform Trade Secrets Act (UTSA).  Essentially, the trade secret is information such as a formula, pattern, program, method, process, technique, or similar piece of information that produces economic value.   However, the information only produces actual or potential economic value because it is not accessible by other parties who could also generate economic value with its use. 

 

Before the UTSA was passed, the use of a secret in trade was an offense under a common law tort known as the Restatement of Torts.  Section 757 and 758 of this tort laid out general policies, and the majority of U.S. Courts adopted the trade secret tort.  Comment (b) of §757 is still accessed regularly and determines what qualifies as a secret in trade.  A secret in trade is recognized depending on the following:

 

·         the amount of information about the secret known outside of the business

·         the amount of information known by employees for the business

·         the measures taken by the business to protect the information from exposure

·         the value of the secret to the business compared to competitors

·         the difficulty involved in acquiring the information and duplicating the information

 

In order to submit a trade secret claim, the information needs to qualify for protection in the first place.  Secondly, the party holding the secret needs to prove that they took reasonable steps to keep in the information private.  Thirdly, the party holding the secret must prove that the secret was not unlawfully obtained from another party. 

 

There are two cases when a secret in trade is unlawfully obtained.  The information was unlawfully obtained through improper means or there is a breach of confidence.  For example, if an employee accessed information and sold the information to another company, the second company committed breach of confidence. 

 

It is not illegal to obtain a trade secret if the information is discovered independently, reverse engineering leads to the discovery, or the company holding the secret failed to take proper steps in protecting the secret. 

 

A trade secret does not last for a specific number of years like a patent.  The secret in trade continues indefinitely until disclosure of the secret is reached lawfully.  An inventor has the choice to choose between a patent and a protection of the secret, but the information cannot by dually protected at the same time. 

 

Obtaining a secret in trade does not always exist as a crime only under tort law.  It qualifies as a federal crime in some cases.  The crimes becomes a federal crime when it violates the Economic Espionage Act of 1996. 

 

A recent trade secret violation occurred when Kolon Industries stole information about the manufacturing process used by DuPont for Kevlar para-aramind fiber.  Kolon is headquartered in South Korea and makes a bullet-proof product called Hercron.  Kolon wanted to improve its products, so they targeted former employees that formerly worked for DuPont to receive information on the secrets.

 

They soon received information about the secret manufacturing process used by DuPont and replicated the process in three years. 

Hungry Jack’s

Hungry Jack's

 

Hungry Jack's

Hungry Jack's is an Australian fast food franchise that was originally under the control of the American fast food franchise Burger King. From 1995 to 2001, the two companies were involved in a prolonged legal dispute that was ultimately decided in favor Hungry Jack's.

 

Hungry Jack's began business in 1971 as the exclusive franchise of Burger King in Australia. In 1991, the contract between the two businesses was renewed. The contract included a "termination clause" stating that Hungry Jack's was responsible for opening four new franchise locations a year. However, the contract contradicted itself with another clause which stated that as long as Hungry Jack's opened at least two new locations in a year, another year's worth of a "grace period" would be granted.

 

In 1995, Burger King decided it wanted to take over directly from Hungry Jack's. Though the terms of the contract stated that every franchise location opened had to be approved by Burger King, the company refused to approve the opening of any new locations, making it impossible for Hungry Jack's to live up to the terms of the contract. At this time, Burger King also made use of a Hungry Jack's employee who provided them with information about the company's activities.

 

In 1996, Burger King claimed that Hungry Jack's had violated the terms of its contract and began directly opening its own franchise locations. In 2001, Hungry Jack's filed suit against Burger King, claiming that they had violated the terms of the contract. The case was heard in the New South Wales Court of Appeal and resolved on June 21, 2001. In its decision, the court considered the termination clause's terms and its contradictions with other parts of the contract. The court ruled that the contract allowed Burger King to arbitrarily impeded and hinder Hungry Jack's, making it impossible for them to honor the contract.

 

In reviewing the contract, the court considered the question of "good faith." Because the contract in question was not a standard commercial agreement for which precedent concerning good faith had not yet been established, the court had to rule on whether there was an implicit, justifiable reason to assume such a basis for business. Taking into account Burger King's attempts to prevent Hungry Jack's from opening more locations and use of internal information provided by its informant, the court ruled that Burger King's actions were taken with the direct intent of harming Hungry Jack's to allow Burger King to open its own locations.

 

As a result, the court ruled in favor of Hungry Jack's and ordered that Burger King pay roughly 71 million in Australian dollars. Burger King appealed the decision but was not successful in this attempt. The case is considered in the Australian legal system for introducing "good faith" as a measure of determining the merits of two parties' actions when involved in a contractual dispute. The case is often cited as a precedent in such cases.

Competition

Competition

How the Law Handles Competition between Businesses
In business, competition between sellers within an open marketplace is beneficial for both businesses and consumers. Competition not only keeps prices lower and raises quality, but it also provides more choices and more reason to be innovative. In order to maintain this sense of competition between sellers, the Federal Trade Commission enforces the antitrust laws.
These laws were first created in response to many companies who concealed their business practices using trusts in the late 19th century, which threatened the free market.
·         The Sherman Act (1890)
o   Created to prevent potential cartels or monopolies that could be detrimental to having competition in a free market
o   The act does not allow companies to artificially raise the price
·         The Federal Trade Commission Act (1914)
o   Created the Federal Trade Commission which now regulates large corporations and stops them from having unfair trading practices
·         The Clayton Act (1914)
o   Prevents certain practices that could harm competition in free market, such as price discrimination or having an individual being a director on two companies in competition with each other.
While the anti-trust laws are applicable to most organizations, there are certain types that are exempt from the anti-trust laws, such as labor unions banks, and agricultural cooperatives.
The Federal Trade Commission still continues to monitor large corporations to ensure that no business practices occur that may harm the free market and healthy competition. The Federal trade Commission Monitors the following activities:
·         Mergers
o   While mergers can allow firms to operate more smoothly, mergers result in fewer options and possibly higher consumers.
·         Agreements Among Competitors
o   Businesses cannot conspire to raise prices, hinder other businesses from operating, or raising prices
o   The Federal Trade Commission pays close attention to potential artificial price fixing
·         Manufacturers and Product Dealers
o   There are some agreements, for example a car with a brand of tires that are acceptable, but others can be illegal if they restrict competition without providing customer benefits.
·         Monopolies
o   By excluding other companies or impairing their ability to compete, it can hurt the consumer by allowing them to control prices.
·         Other Anticompetitive Actions
By regulating major corporations, a free market can exist and competition is possible between sellers. However, there can be downsides to competition in the free market. It can potentially lead to increased costs and if waste if companies repeat ideas without innovation. In certain circumstances, competition is inefficient and a natural monopoly flourishes.

Charities

Charities

Charities and the Law


A charity is a non-profit organization that works to benefit the public or accomplish some form of philanthropy. 
Charities can be either public or private foundations. When a charity (even if foreign) qualifies under the Internal Revenue code Section 501(c)(3), which makes them exempt from taxes, they are considered to be a private foundation. A private charity receives the majority of its funds from one source, such as a family, individual or a corporation.
If the charity does not qualify to be a private foundation, it is considered to be a public foundation, and also classifies under Section 508(b) or 509(a). In a public charity, the majority of funding comes from the government, private foundations, or individuals.
For a charity to have 501(c)(3) status, it must be organized and run exclusively for the reasons described in the code, in this case purely for charity. The organization cannot benefit any private interests and none of the earnings should benefit any one private individual shareholder. Because of this status, a charity can get tax-deductible contributions.
A charity is limited in its ability to conduct legislative and political activities, such as lobbying. Under 501(c)(3) code, a charity must do the following:
• Restrict lobbying to a very small part of the charity’s activities
• Refrain from taking part in any candidates during political campaigns on any level of government
• Not let any earnings benefit one individual or private shareholder
• Refrain from operating for the benefit of one private interest or for the purpose of any trade or business that is not related to the exempt purpose
• Refrain from illegal activities
The most common 501(c)(3) charities promote:
• Fighting community deterioration
• Preventing juvenile delinquency
• Eliminating discrimination and prejudice
• Constructing or maintaining public monuments, buildings, or works
• Advancing science or education
• Advancing religion
• Securing civil and human rights through the law
• Helping the underprivileged, the distressed, or the poor
 
A charity that is under 501©(3) must follow two disclosure rules placed by the federal tax law. A donor must receive from the charity a written acknowledgement for any individual contribution that is at least $250 in order for the donor to claim a federal contribution on a federal income tax return. Second, a charity must give a written disclosure to a donor who pays $75 or more as a combination of contribution and payment for a service or good.

Business Letter

Business Letter

Writing a Proper Business Letter


A business letter is written differently from most letters due to its use of formal language. Instead of showing creativity using evocative language, a business letter uses more succinct language, while stressing accuracy and specificity. 
The write an effective business letter, it is important to assume that the receiver of the letter will not have much time and will want to quickly understand the point of the message. Depending on the context, the writing style can be more casual, such as what would be found in an email correspondence or more formal, such as what would be found in a contract. The writing style of a business letter relies on the circumstances and it is important to use the correct amount of formality.

Parts of a Business Letter
Most business letters can be broken down to the following sections:
• Sender’s address
o If the address is not already in the leader head, include one line above the date at the top of the letter.
o Only write the street, city, and zip code.
• Date
o The date is the date that the letter was written or completed.
o Write the month, day, and year 2” from the top of the page either in the center or left justified.
o It should be written in American date format if addressed to an American company.
• Inside address
o This is to a specific individual and his or her business address. 
o The address is left justified and one line underneath the sender’s address or the left.
• Salutation
o This is the name within the inside address with the personal title.
o Use a personal title, full name, colon and a blank line after the salutation.
o The personal title can be omitted if gender is unknown.
• Body
o The body should be in paragraph format that are left justified and single spaced.
o There should be a blank line between paragraphs.
• Closing
o The closing is at one line after the final body paragraph and has the same horizontal point as the date. The first word should be capitalized and four spaces should be left between the closing and the sender’s name.
• Enclosures
o Enclosures should be indicated by typing “enclosure” a line after the closing.
o Documents can be listed optionally, particularly if there are multiple documents.
• Typist initials
o The typist of the document usually initials the document, but if it was written by the sender, initials are omitted.
Other tips for writing a good business letter
• It is acceptable to use first person pronouns, but make sure to use “we” when representing the company.
• Avoid using a passive voice in order to maintain clarity in the business letter.
• Be concise but still consider the tone of the letter in order to avoid being blunt.

Using Marketing Software

Using Marketing Software

Marketing software is the available computer programs that allows you to bring certain marketing strategies with the internet.  Marketing software can be used in numerous ways, including e-mail marketing, on-line surveys, event registration, and on-line sweepstakes.  Most marketing software use legitimate forms of advertising, however you must always be aware of illegal or unethical software that use e-mail bombing, spamming, or even spy-ware.  You do not want your business name attached to such forms of adversing, as it will create a negative image for your clients.   

How to use Marketing Software in your plan


1. Identify your business strengths and your client base
Before determining how you will use marketing software and what type of software you should purchase, you must identify what products and services you want to bring to your clients attention.  You must also consider your client base.  Ask yourself, do your clients spend their time on computers checking their email or do they spend the majority of their work time disconnected?  Should you try to reach your clients at their personal email or while they are not working, or should you only contact them while they are on the job?  

2. Consider your budget
All different types of marketing software is available for businesses however their costs can vary greatly depending on how technical they are.  Of course, the better quality marketing software will cost significantly more than the less technical versions.  The most basic email programs may cost you a few hundred dollars a month while the more technical software can cost tens of thousands of dollars per month. You must determine your available marketing budget before you can even consider developing your marketing plan using marketing software.  

3. Develop your marketing plan while considering what Marketing Software is appropriate
The marketing software that you choose must fit in with your entire marketing plans for your business.  Marketing software should not define your overall plan, instead you should work the marketing software into an overall marketing plan.  Make sure you understand what your chosen marketing software can do and what it cannot accomplish.  Many marketing software companies will tailor their software to your needs, so you may need to work with these companies to develop custom marketing software for your business.  

4. Monitoring your Marketing Software
Once your overall marketing plan is in place and your chosen marketing software is being utilized, you must monitor how successful the software is.  Many types of marketing software will provide you with data about your marketing, so it is important that you use this data in determining whether the software is working as you had planned or if you need to change it.  Working with marketing software companies is one of the best ways to ensure that the software is working as efficiently as possible, however this may not be a possibility for small businesses that do not have the budget to do so.  
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