Marketing & Business
Creating a Marketing Plan for a Small Business – Part 2
How to get started…
Last post we examined half of our marketing plan to-do list which covered expectations, goals, target
Promotional Materials
Depending on your venue, your small business can promote itself through a host of creative means. Let’s look at some of the most common promotional materials:
- Business cards
- Brochures
- Social Media
- Google +
Business cards are a given. They are cheap to have printed and an indispensable marketing tool. Brochures are another effective hand-out with the added advantage of more print space for engaging images and your “about” basics.
Moving on to social media platforms, Facebook and Twitter often take center stage. In addition to an effective venue for client interaction, Facebook also offers affordable advertising. Investing a hundred bucks in some Facebook advertising still seems to be one of the best options for blasting your business out there while not busting your budget.
For direct interaction, Twitter is great if you have a consistent flow of interesting one-liners or fun news relevant to your target client base. Instagram and Pinterest offer free platforms to draw attention to your small business. Either your own brand of original wisdom or collecting clever quotes make good partners to eye-catching images.
“Content builds relationships. Relationships are built on trust. Trust drives revenue.”
– Andrew Davis
Budget
Two things are important under this topic. First, you’ll want to realistically determine the amount you can invest in promotion and the running of your business. Second, you’ll want to have a clear grasp
ROI = (Revenue – Marketing Investment) / Marketing Investment
Make a list of your costs and expected revenue. Use a spreadsheet program such as Microsoft Excel to estimate where you should stand to assume things go according to plan. By inputting the data into a spreadsheet you can play around with the costs and revenue to see what would happen if you didn’t make as much as anticipated or perhaps more.
Task List
One of the key components to getting everything done is an efficient task list. This is not to be confused with a to-do list. Your task list is not just a hap-hazard collection of things that need to get done, it’s an organized agenda of specific jobs and when they will be addressed. If your business consists of more than just yourself, this is the list where you will allocate duties and deadlines. A task list keeps everyone on point and helps you stay accountable to achieving your success. The launch phase of a business is an especially challenging time to stay organized. You may feel like you’re putting out tons of energy but much of that effort burns away on random jobs. Stay on point with a tight-knit task list.
Analytics
Every business wants to know more about how it’s doing, what’s been effective, what hasn’t, and so on. A wide variety of analytical tools aids business owners’ with their progress. Running an ad can be costly and time-consuming and you want to be sure it’s effectively bringing customers and clients back to you. As there are hundreds of analytical programs flying around out there, the real challenge is choosing what is a good fit for your business. Gaurav Vohra of analyticstraining.com offers great insight into a handful of open-source analytical software programs to use:
http://analyticstraining.com/2011/10-most-popular-analytic-tools-in-business/
Whichever analytical system you choose to use, continually check in with your results to monitor what causes the best impact for your business. More data means greater focus. Using these tools can help you better direct your energy and budget.
Rhonda Percell
CEO (Chief Everything Officer)
Specialty: Managing Craziness.
Likes: Crisp Mornings on the Porch with a Cup of Coffee.
Experience: 20 years in Internet Marketing
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Creating a Marketing Plan for Small Businesses – Part 1
Marketing & Business Creating a Marketing Plan for a Small Business - Part 1 How to get started... Few things keep a small business as strong as a solid marketing plan. But what exactly do you need in it? A lot of small businesses start out with specific goals but...
