Benjamin Dalley of Washington, D.C., serves as the director of his own consultancy business, Xebec. Working with the nonprofit Bike to the Beach, Inc., as its operations and development director, Benjamin C. Dalley oversees budgetary and marketing strategy as well as strategic partnerships. Ben Dalley has also developed marketing strategy in the hospitality field for Fields Restaurant Group.

While different industries face unique challenges and require special marketing strategies, the basic principles of good marketing hold true for nearly any business or organizations. Described below are three important marketing pillars that businesses should never ignore.

Relationships and Growth: For many businesses, the bulk of business stems from return or referred clientele. This is why it is so essential to foster relationships in an effort to grow a loyal base.

Increase Name Recognition: The more you can grow your name within a community, industry, or area, the better chance you have of retaining more clients and/or customers. Utilize community involvement and good public relations to expand on this principle and make sure your image stands up to what you value.

Targeting: By recognizing the traits that makes your business or organization unique, you can capitalize and better target the desired audience. It is often believed that if you market to everyone, then you are marketing to no one. Take this to heart and get specific with your audience for better results.