Technology and marketing - just how do you get them to work well when you may have limited skills in either or both? When you are a small business and especially if you are a sole operator you are very conscious of your limitations. It is a real 'godsend' when something is made available that can help brand your product or services and does not cost a fortune.

Micro and Home Based Businesses are able to compete with larger business because of technology which does help level the playing field. But the difficulty is to acquire skills to enable the operator to get the best out of the technology they use.

With the number of people now using email, it would seem the most efficient and effective way to get their marketing message out there is via this medium. But how to make it look professional; be cost effective; ensure that the message and image will get through to the recipient every time; and above all make the maintenance and development of it easy to control.... well that's another matter... or is it?

There are a number of articles written on email marketing but most ignore the importance of being able to achieve branding while still getting the message across. But there are now some companies that can do this for you. I have found something that really works. Mark Up Mail is an interactive marketing media tool that helps brand your product and allows the user to build advertisements that attach to every single email that they send. And it is designed in such a way as not to detract from the email message.

How could this get better? Well it does. Users have their own web page where they can enter and change content at will. If someone clicks on a hyperlink embedded into the text, users will receive an email telling them who had a look. This automatic measurement tool is a really special feature. Too often the Micro sector spend money and time on their marketing but do not measure the results, so really have no idea if their campaign was successful or not. Using this programme enables users to test the message and change it if results are not as expected.

Many HBB operators worry that the recipients of their email may not like to receive promotional material every time they get an email. This is certainly something each individual has to decide about. It is my experience that the sole operator often forgets that they 'owe it to their business' to give it every possible opportunity to gather more customers and make more sales. They should make every effort to flaunt their business and let everyone know why their business is good and what their point of difference is.

The success of branding often depends on how often it appears in the market place. It must be seen again and again and again. Just like emails are sent over and over and over. There is certainly a happy mix between what the Micro and HBB operator already do and how they can leverage the email to assist them in their marketing campaign. The sector cannot afford to take out monstrous ads like the big corporate organisations do. But in their own innovative way they can still let others know how great their business is. As a matter of fact - it is their duty to let others know and should not be left up to accidental word of mouth.

This programme has certainly made the 'signature box' on emails appear somewhat remedial. Thanks to technology I can now get a powerful, professional marketing message out there with ease and little effort.