One of my favorite movies is Field of Dreams starring Kevin Costner and James Earl Jones. Even though I’m not a big baseball fan, the fact that the players were able to realize their dreams makes it a winner in my book. And the line, “Build it and they will come.” puts the icing on the cake.

But in actuality, just because you build it doesn’t mean that people will come. Far too often, business owners, nonprofits and ministries have incredibly innovative events or products that fail miserably. Why? because no one knows that what they have to offer exists. It’s a common mistake that can be easily avoided. Here are a few tips to get you started in the right direction.

Determine your marketing budget.

According to the U.S Small Business Administration, “small businesses should allocate 7-8 percent of their revenues to marketing.

So, what if you’re not in a position to allocate this much to your marketing budget? Start with what you have and gradually increase your budget. Consulting with a marketing & media strategist will assist you in developing a plan that’s right for you.

Join the Party

One of the keys to your success is determining who your target audience is (age, gender, income,education etc.) and joining them. If your product or service is geared towards college students, find out where they hang out. Tailor your marketing efforts to their needs,speak their language and be the solution to their problems.

Keep Going

As a business owner, it’s vital that you have a continuous presence in the market for top of mind awareness. Some marketing efforts are free and don’t require a lot of time. It could be as simple as sending a thank you card to your loyal or first time customers.

You’ve put in the hard work to bring your dream to reality, don’t stop now. Make the decision to market and promote your business, nonprofit or ministry. Remember that by the time you’re tired of saying “We’re Here!” some people are just hearing you for the first time.