Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Marketing and market

What are the top PR websites to submit my new product?

usermac — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 15:32:32 -0800

I need to market my software and my friends told me about a couple of PR websites but I can't recall them now. My friends have a successful software company here in my city. They shared with me that you need to push press releases and when they get picked up, you get a bump in sales. I'll ask them again soon but I'm looking for your thoughts and recommendations.

I understand that some of the RP website have a yearly fee and that's ok.

Please help me prepare for a market research job interview

auto-correct — Fri, 27 May 2011 12:52:36 -0800

I have an interview at a market research company next week! Which is great, except that I've been in school for physics for the last 7 years and I know next to nothing about the field. Can you give me resources, tips or tricks to prepare for this interview? I just finished my M.Sc. in particle physics, and have no experience in the business world. I've been clear about this fact in my resume, cover letter or initial telephone call, so the company seems to be ok with it. I would, however, like to be as prepared as possible. This is my first non-academic interview.

The company produces commissioned reports for manufacturers in the medical and dental device markets. This is mostly done by distributing custom surveys, performing interviews with people in the industry, and analysing the results. I would be a "research analyst", a position that requires equal parts data analysis and human interaction.

Is there a "basics of market research" somewhere that I can read this weekend to get an idea of the core concepts of the field? What are some key things I should learn about the the medical device market to show I've done my homework? Where would I find this information?

The contact also said that part of the interview will be a "quiz" on a workstation, and emphasized that I shouldn't worry about preparing for it and gave no further details. Any idea what this will entail?

Thanks in advance, and any other advice you have would be much appreciated.

Marketing a great website before it's copied

jakubsnm — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 12:39:12 -0800

Recently I've thought of a great idea for a website which I'm planning on developing soon. I believe the site has the potential of something like YouTube or Facebook. Due to my paranoia and low budget, I've decided to develop the site myself. I believe no one has the capacity or resources to copy the site for at least a fortnight. Due to the low budget Im having to resort to spreading the word over the net. Unfortunetly I cannot reveal what the site is about :( I was just wondering if anyone knows of any descent sites or forums that are pretty general, where I could post my idea? so i can reach as many people as possible within a fortnight. P.S. Please don't say Youtube or Facebook... lol

Brainstorm ideas for viral marketing video

adriana — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:48:11 -0800

I need help to come up with an idea (or a few) for a viral marketing video for my online backyard store. I have a 2 months old online store selling backyard items (furniture, play sets, garden decor, etc.), and I need to bring more traffic to the site. With the popularity of videos, I think this may be a good way to bring traffic to my site, and get other people to link to it.

But I don't know what will make people go crazy over, and spread the news about my site. I'd love to hear some ideas form others. My only thought was to create a video of sad looking backyards, with broken furniture, overgrown trees, etc, and at the end show a great backyard and add my site's URL.

I am not sure that's the best, so I am looking for any and all suggestions. What do yout think will be a great video to bring a backyard loving crowd to my site?

Where do I start?

jourman2 — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 20:00:02 -0800

How can I find out what my career prospects are in market research? I just started a job in market research/analysis (marketing, not finance) at a small startup in NYC. So far I've been liking it so I'm wondering about career prospects. The salary and benefits are ok now, but where can I find a legitimate estimate of earning prospects down the road? I've checked salary.com but I've found them to be a bit inconsistent. I guess I'm looking for someone in the field to chime in. Also, where can a job like this ultimately lead me?

Obviously the main thing to do now is get some experience under my belt, but I'm wondering what other steps I can take to further my position. Will graduate school be necessary at some point? Or am I ok with my BA in Psych and Business? What other advise can ye market researchers bestow upon me?

How do I market what my small company does?

yaquina27 — Sat, 27 Nov 2004 11:01:01 -0800

I own a very small company, and I feel that my product is the best in its category. If I can just get my message to the masses, my company will be a success (otherwise I'll have to go back to work for "the man"). What's the best way to ge the message out? I realize that everyone is advertising-averse, and I don't want to consider anything that might irritate people.