You've decided you want your business to grow and be more successful. You know marketing and promotion will make it happen. Here are the top five strategies large fortune 500 companies and top entertainers use that you may not know about.

The competition is fierce and your company is just one in a billion others trying to grab the attention of consumers and the business world. How can you get your company to the top of the pile and start gaining the clout and money you need to succeed? In Part I and II of this article, I will reveal some of the top five marketing and promotion tools that are used by some of the biggest names in any industry. I call it Bulldozer Marketing. First, let me start with the basics.

It's all about marketing and promotion. While there are never any guarantees that your product or service will become the next big thing, one thing is certain: Unless you know the rules of engagement to this game, no matter how unique and urgently needed your product or service is, most people will never hear about it.

The people who have made it to the top got there with great determination, an unwavering belief and commitment to their goal, a big bullhorn and a marketing bulldozer. They didn't get there by luck or even by their talent or a great product. Their talent or product is secondary. An overnight success is only an overnight success because it's the first time you've heard of them. There are only two things that got them where they are: Marketing and promotion.

Another thing is certain: While they may have talent, which may help sustain them, unless they continue with a marketing bulldozer and mega promotion bullhorn, they have a real chance of becoming obscure in the sea of other companies and talent trying to take their spot.

You can be the next Christina Aguilera, Bill Gates, or Tiger Woods; but if you don't shout it out loud and clear, shoving your product in the consumers face, you won't sell much, if anything at all. Have you ever noticed a song on the radio you disliked, but when you saw the video and heard the song repeatedly, it grew on you?

That's what I call bulldozer marketing. They're selling it to you simply by shoving it in your face constantly! You need to use the same strategies. Get your product in the face of the public every chance you make. That's right, every chance you make. Bulldoze the public with the sheer volume of times they've heard about you.

The next step to the top is to know your competition and study them. Find out what they did to make it to the top. Many times if you call up your competition, they will talk to you about how they made it to the top. They won't discuss proprietary information, however; and they can't spend hours of time talking to you, so don't expect that. If they won't speak with you, go online and read every article you can about how they made it to the top and how they started out. Start calling the names in the articles (marketing consultants, business managers, etc.) to find out if they can offer you any tips and tricks to help you succeed. Once you've researched your competition, make sure you have a stunning package designed. Have you ever seen the shows on television about redesigning homes so they can sell them? Once they repackage the rooms, the market becomes interested and the house sells.

No one will open the package if it's not bundled correctly. A simple example is a word picture. Home vs. House. A home is where your heart is right? A house is down the street with someone you don't know in it. Get the picture? Here's another: A flawless diamond thrown into a garbage bag filled with other garbage and put up for auction will only gain so much attention. Very few people will want to sift through the garbage in the bag to see if there really is a flawless diamond inside. Because the display is poor, the possibility of a bidding war will be very low. However, a flawless diamond displayed on a beautiful black velvet tray with a Diamond Certificate and a recommendation or two can be sold for quite a bit of money.

To help ensure a great package, talk to packaging experts and look up packaging specialties online. If you have a music or book product, go to your local college and ask the art and graphics department head whom their most talented designer is. Ask if the college has an internship program.

In Part II of this article, I will reveal the Top Five Marketing and Promotion Tools as well as give you some resources to help you. These tools and resources are ones the most successful companies, musicians, authors and service providers use to propel their companies to the top. In the meantime, start on the projects I gave you here to get you ready for the next step.

Jaci Rae’s grit and determination brought her from a poor childhood to a successful singer and author who tours around the world. She is the recipient of the "Female Vocalist of the Year" award at the Golden Music Awards in Nashville, TN as well as a #1 Best selling author.

Jaci is on the dating team of Savvymiss.com, the relationship expert for lovingyou.com and is a relationship advisor for loveisgreat.com and singlescafe.net. For more information, go to http://www.winningromance.com Jaci Rae is also a co-host for the show Concert's in the Sky with media mogul Jesse Dylan.

She is the author of The Indie Guide to Music, Marketing and Money, as well as Winning Points With The Woman In Your Life One Touchdown At A Time (Simon and Schuster), Shop for a Day with Jaci Rae and Collista's Search for the True Meaning of Christmas. Jaci spends her spare time working on her music, writing and hanging out with family and friends. For more information, go to www.christmaswithlove.com www.shopforaday.com www.winningromance.com or www.jacirae.com

About.com Dating Guide lists Jaci's book, Winning Points With The Woman In Your Life One Touchdown At A Time in the top six of all time dating / relationship books.
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