Marketing is a fundamental part of any business. It's how they get their image out there into the wider public, attract new customers, and hopefully expand in the future in order to become a larger, more profitable entity. However, there are a number of shortcomings that can happen with businesses and their marketing campaigns. For example, the biggest killer for many businesses and their marketing is simply not knowing where to start. Having an overarching plan, complete with projected results, is a crucial aspect of both achieving results and motivating yourself to achieve those figures. This will also help to reduce the amount of time wasted on superfluous tasks that don't contribute towards the final effort. Budget for your marketing campaign by factoring it into your cashflow using your small business accounting software and including your marketing budget in your finances from the beginning. Having tangible money invested in the campaign will help to both bring it to life and motivate you due to the initial investment you've made. However, you'll want to ensure that your advertisements are working, by tracking and measuring their results. This could include keeping tabs on business and seeing if you get more customers following the advertisements going out, or have a questionnaire available for people to check off how they heard about your business. Furthermore, utilising the emerging social media trend is a fantastic, free way to spread your brand message quickly and effectively. Engaging with your customers in an online environment adds a personalised touch to the campaign, by giving something back to your customers. This is also another way to measure your consumer base, by taking into account how many people are following or subscribed to your various social media outlets. Communication is a crucial factor to consider when trying to make your small business succeed, especially in the fast-paced world we live in today.