Depending on how new your business is, your time may be better spent on sales instead. What we are talking about is a new start-up company, who have very few clients/customers if any.

If this is the case you are in, then you should start pounding the pavement and trying your hand at sales. This is definitely the fastest way to gain new customers. Marketing is intended to keep your sales pipeline full of potential leads and new contacts. However the process can take longer to generate the right leads. And you as the business owner will probably have to do the in person sales yourself, at least in the beginning.

There are some interesting discussions on selling start-up ideas and products to early adopters. Even before the products or business exists, the real storytellers are the sales people that can get people excited about new ideas. Only you have the vision of what your new business is about and can satisfy the naysayers who are apprehensive of working with a new and unproven company or vendor.

You can read more at “Selling the Startup” for ideas on how to sell your new business to potential buyers.

The key take away is you need to create “Believers”, people who believe in what you are doing and want to help you succeed. Whether they are early investors, or existing contacts, colleagues or family and friends. In the beginning you need someone who will help you refine your sales pitch or provided early feedback on your product. And where they might use such a product or service.

Once you have your first couple of clients you will have material to start your marketing program. Including case studies, referrals, testimonials and the like.

After you sign your new client, or sell your first product. You will be ready to start marketing, and you will find a lot of marketing ideas on this site for marketing your newly opened business.

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Yahoo is now launching a new do it yourself (DIY) system for small businesses to self create and participate with online  display ads. Most would probably refer to these as banner ads instead.

Yahoo already has a relationship with small businesses through their web hosting and online promotion services. However display ads traditionally required you to have copywriters, marketing folks, and graphic designers to put a campaign together. Now with the new Yahoo My Display Ads as they are calling it, you can now design online banner banners in a self serve capacity.

Demand for online display ads has been decreasing as budgets are getting tightened, but this may provide a new opportunity to expand into the small business space. Bringing pre-designed banner ad templates and an extensive offering of networked sites in which to display these ads. For those business with a a budget greater than $2500 you can also get access to assistance in setting up your program. But the real intention is to allow small businesses to get their feet wet in this kind of advertising.

You can read more about this announcement in the Yahoo press release here:  Yahoo My Display Ads

A recent study conducted by comScore OPA found that 1 in 5 that saw display ads conducted a search for that brand and 1 in 3 visit that brand’s website. This study reaffirms that display ads can have an impact on getting brand awareness, and getting your business noticed.

Also keep in mind that these display ads will not be displayed along side the search engine results. But instead these banner ads, will display on the websites that Yahoo either owns or is affiliate with.

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