If you are like most small businesses you may not have a formal marketing plan. I’d like to offer a few easy steps to get you headed in the right direction. So, let’s begin.
1. Choose what news you want to share with everyone.
Extra – Extra – Read all about it! If you are thinking about a marketing plan, chances are you have something newsworthy in mind to share with the world. It could be as big as opening a new location, or as simple as a sale on everything in the store. The point here is to find something exciting and new to tell.
2. Create a desire and a call to action.
What motivates your customers to act? Do you know if 20% or 50% discounts work best? How about a free offer? Make sure that you entice your customers with something they can’t refuse. There’s no point in sending out a marketing message that doesn’t offer an incentive. Next, you need to make it easy for your customers to act on that desire. Let’s face it…as consumers we don’t often act on things that look challenging.
3. Choose your outlet.
Price is an important consideration when preparing your marketing plan. But keep in mind that this is an investment, not just an expense. **Don’t forget that it can also be a benefit at tax time – Just ask your accountant!** Whether you want to use direct mail or an email campaign you should be picky about your audience (or target market). The point here is to choose carefully how you share your message. I can’t tell you what’s best for your situation in this article because every marketing plan should be custom designed for each business and each different campaign
4. Results are more than just a number.
Sales increase, happy customers, and good publicity are all results of a good marketing plan, but you must find a way to track your results. It’s called ROI and you must be held accountable for every dollar you spend on marketing. Because if it doesn’t work this time, chances are it won’t work next time….but at least you know. On the flip side; if it did work and it was a great success – how much greater will it be if you repeat that marketing plan and increase your efforts the second time around? You could quite possibly have the makings of a great marketing plan, and that’s worth repeating!