HOW TO PLAN YOUR MARKETING STRATEGY Reposted by Kharis Macey, Author of Upon His Death Bed, 1st in the 12-Novel Serial of The Front House Jumbies December is National Write a Business Plan Month - so designated to encourage unhappy employees to become their own satisfied bosses. Whether your goal is to own your own business, become a consultant, a speaker or an author, youll need to start with a business plan. Even if you launched your business years ago, its important to revisit and refresh your plan. In recent years, the economy, technology and consumer habits have changed, affecting every aspect of your business. That makes it absolutely vital to re-evaluate your short- and long-term strategies. One of the most critical aspects of any business plan is your marketing strategy. Too often, people dont think through their strategy with the same rigor they tackle elements like projected cash flow and long-term goals. Or, they do put thought and effort into planning for market research, promotion and positioning - and then never follow through. One problem is that most entrepreneurs (or professionals or authors) dont have marketing experience. They may be skilled tradesmen, savvy financial advisers or talented writers - the expertise theyll build their business around - but theyre not marketers. Some dont realize that executing a solid marketing strategy is essential to any ventures success; others know its important but dont know where to begin. Heres why its so important: You may have the book that changes the way business is done, or the product that solves a problem for lots of consumers, but if no one knows about it, they cant come looking for it. Marketing is the fundamental building block of any business; its what drives the business, so it cant be an afterthought. The marketing component of your business plan should include a budget for time (if youre going to tackle the job yourself) and/or money. You need a timetable and a professional website that attracts visitors and makes it easy for them to learn more about you, your product, book or service -- and equally easy to purchase what youre selling. Here are some other points to consider as youre developing your marketing plan: •What is my message? Your message needs to be more than My product is great. Whats the problem it solves? If youre a professional, whats the value you and your service offer? How are you different from your competition? As an example: At EMSI, we create visibility and credibility for our clients using a pay-for-performance model that guarantees media exposure and sets us apart from our peers. •Who is my audience? Unless you have a niche product, consider your potential audience in terms of ever-expanding ripples. For instance, a collapsible coffeepot may be just the thing for a college students tiny dorm room. Thats your initial target audience. But his parents and grandparents, who are helping outfit that dorm room, might also be audiences. If theyve downsized their living quarters, they might just want one for themselves, too. In fact, it could be great for campers, boaters - anyone living in a small space. •Which are the appropriate media outlets for a PR campaign? Social media is great for niche products because online forums build communities around common interests. Daytime TV talk shows tend to have audiences with lots of women. Most newspaper readers are now 55 or older. Once you have decided who your audience is, figure out what theyre watching, listening to, reading, and doing online, then customize your message for that medium and audience. •Whats your budget? When youve answered these questions, you should be able to determine how much marketing you can do yourself (if youll be doing any at all) and how much youll need help with. If youre handling it yourself, budget for the time it will take to do things like keeping your website active with fresh blog posts once or twice a week; posting content on social media; developing pitches to get print, radio or TV interested. If you plan to pay a professional for marketing services, use your marketing plan to explore the costs and timetable, and budget accordingly. Whether youre launching a dream or strengthening your existing business, you need to lay a good foundation with a solid plan. If marketing isnt an important component of that plan, your rocket to the moon will likely fizzle and fade. Blast off! Marsha P.S. Publicity is an important tool in any marketing plan, and we know how to get you top-tier exposure by positioning you as an expert in the press and on talk shows. Give us a call at 727-443-7115 ext. 208 or simply reply to this email. We would love to hear from you.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Dec 2014 01:41:42 +0000
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