Question on "marketing"

[Ummu Sufyaan]

At the moment a "project" is being undertaken, where in which inshallah, it needs to reach out and be accessible to as many people as possible across the globe.

inshallah the intent is to spread the "project" as far and as wide as possible, targeting as many people as possible. this project is not intended for access of the internet only, people of different languages and the different parts of the world, must be able to access it as-well.

my question is, how should the above be achieved? im really clueless on how to reach a target audience. i figure there must be some type of "marketing" campaign i need to employ, but im just generally quite clueless. what sort of "plan" is needed? as i said i dont just what this accessible online so .

so far my ideas are (obviously) to get some people from different languages to help with the translation...that's not my main priority now though. other than that, i was also thinking of getting in contact with some imams from around the world/from different cities, people of dawah organizations, etc in helping to spread this.

how would one go about the above? what plan should be employed and what should one expect when "marketing." do i just target imams/people of dawah who are well known and respected? what about the people who aren't so well known? what happens if people dont help me out? do i rely on people in the first place to help me out? so could/should i entrust someone else to share the responsibility. is a marketing campaign just a matter of trial and error or is there some type of plan and back up plan.

any ideas?

p.s please make dua for this to be a success and more importantly that Allah opens the hearts and minds of our brothers and sisters.

[Beardo]

Well, I'm trying to devise ways to market the Jannah Network as well. It is difficult, and the higher quality marketing methods require investments (marketing through AdWords, facebook ads, banners, SEO, etc).

But if it's a unique and original idea, it'll usually spread by itself. Just post it on various forums, send it to your entire mailing list, and involving local Imams can only help your cause, since it'll get to various areas and people will also become more aware of your project. They'll at least know it by name. "Oh yeah, I heard about Ummu Sufyaan's project." And that's a start.

Maybe you could print some material too. Depending on your budget, I'm sure you can get business cards at the least for cheap.

[manaal]

Marketing is a means of fulfilling human needs. A product or service will be successful if it fulfills a need that is yet unfulfilled by the products available in the market, or does it in a better way. There are certain steps outlined by Marketing gurus on how a marketing campaign should be planned out. I suggest you purchase "Marketing Management by Philip Kotler" since you have no idea about marketing. I think educating yourself is the first step to a successful marketing campaign.

There are basically four main tools in what we call the "marketing mix" a.k.a. the "4 ps of marketing". they are Product, Price, Place and Promotion.
First you need to identify your product, what image you want it to have and who your target audience is. The price of the product is set accordingly. Place is the marketing channel, that is, what means you are going to use to bring your product to the consumers (e.g. in your case a masjid). Promotion is your advertising and promotional campaign. You need to integrate the 4ps to launch a successful marketing campaign.


As for how you can reach people, I think Da'wah centres are likely to help out. Why not approach Dar-us-salam publishers? They have bookstores around the world and would be likely to help out with your campaign.
You can contact them at:
(713) 722-0419 or fax at (713) 722-0431.
Physical address: 1111 Conrad Sauer Dr., Houston, TX 77043.
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 79194, Houston, TX 77279.

[ardianto]

is a marketing campaign just a matter of trial and error or is there some type of plan and back up plan.

Trial and Error is a way in marketing method but actually this is the most expensive way. It's better if you learn from other people success and analyze what made them success, also learn from other people failure and analyze what made them fail.

You need a plan and back up plan, of course. And you need to make study about some matter before.

[Ummu Sufyaan]

thanks for the replies. please keep them coming.

[tigerkhan]

i also did this "marketing" once. but my target was specific people in specific area. so i used yahoo groups, orkut.

[Ummu Sufyaan]

I need some insight and option about marketing a "product" or a dawah project.

I have noticed 2 approaches people take when they market/propagate their dawah project both having their pro's and cons.

1. This approach involves alot of "aesthetic" appeal where the first things you notice and what will draw you to such a dawah project is all the color...it just looks quite catchy and nice. This isnt a bad approach itself as it draws people to it, but (for me personally) all the "hype" kills the knowledge that it carries and although it may carry knowledge, people may only remember that dawah project for what it looked like....perhaps (to me) the knowledge might not stick with them (not very practical).

not to mention, even if people do remember the knowledge, its like "well is that all." i mean with all the hype you'd think it was the greatest thing and all, but when you actually come to learn what was advertised you wouldn't think so great of it, (despite the fact that it very much would be great), but the way it was advertised it just didn't meet the expectation simply because the advertising blew it out of proportion.


2. this approach has little no "aesthetic" appeal but the knowledge it contains is very effective. people really benefit from it mashallah, but the fact that it has little or no aesthetic appeal people may not be so aware of it compared to the approach taken in point one.

so my query is, is what should be the balance. im really not sure what the middle way is here because shouldn't people just be drawn to the word of Allah? should that be sufficient enough to grab the attention of people?

things like catchy titles, or perhaps you may word certain things in a way that is also catchy? maybe adding abit of color wold be affective?

are these things going against the purpose of dawah? as i said, you do need people to be drawn to it, but at the same time you want them to be drawn and remember the knowledge that comes with it and not so much the "product" itself. you have this great message, but how do people 1) be attracted to it in the first place and 2)remember the message that came with it.

where it the line drawn?

any ideas would be good.


EDIT: alternatively, it would be good aswell if there are any links, etc that could be posted where i could get some advise...i just dont know who to ask, or know anyone that would know....i am clueless with these things...

[Danah]

I think if your target is to reach everyone around the globe then you have to plan for this very well.

First, keep in my mind that you won't be known to everyone in one night. you have to start trying this in a small area and depending on that you will decide what to be done to improve and move forward to be globally known. Think of it as testing phase. In other words, don't spend too much money on something you are not sure of its success.


Second, break your whole project to phases, make goals for every phase and don't to the next phase till you achieve the goal of the current phase, don't plan to get everything at the same time or at a short period of time.


Third, be realistic on your tasks assigned to every period of time.


Forth, As for the means of marketing, I think someone else here mentioned about ads and such....that can be a good way to advertise.

Fifth, when you will break your whole project to smaller parts, make sure that you assigned a person to get his/her part done on time....but if you think you can do it yourself then thats fine